The Long Way Home
by Philosophy Blue
Summary: Kagome has had enough of her dysfunctional marriage to Sesshomaru. She decides to make an escapade so she can decide whether to make her vacation from her over-controlling, arrogant husband a permanent one. On the other hand, Sesshomaru is snapped out of his post marriage regrets when his wife disappears, and like the dog he is, gives chase to his runaway bride.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi guys! Stardust Miko is back again with another story! This is the postbirthday prezzy to you guys! I hope you liked my updates of Covenant and General, and also my oneshot. I'd like to say before I start that this is not my typical story. It's quite real-world, and more mature than anything else I have ever written, I think. But that's really for you to decide. So please sit back and enjoy the ride, and when you are done, leave a review! :)**

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"One egg or two?"

Kagome couldn't even bring herself to address her husband by name. She held a milky white egg in each hand as she waited for his answer.

"I will eat at the company."

Kagome scowled, the negative expression settling comfortably into her face. Anger was so familiar to her nowadays. And in her hurt rage, her mind jumped to conclusions that maybe weren't completely thought out. What, he wanted to leave the house as soon as possible? He didn't want to be in her company more than absolutely necessary?... His own wife? "Are you a part of this family or aren't you?" she snapped, slamming the eggs down into the frying pan. Yolk oozed out of the broken shells, the gloop spreading across the sleek black surface of the pan, but she paid the mess no mind as she glared at her husband.

Sesshomaru, dressed in suit and tie, put down his thermos of coffee and newspaper. Slowly, he turned his head to look at her, and if looks could freeze, Kagome would have wanted to jump straight into a fire. As it was, she stared bitterly into his eyes.

 _How did it go so wrong? No husband should look at his wife like that, with those cold eyes, like he's sick of her or something._

She prepared herself for a scathing put-down, but Sesshomaru just folded up his newspaper and stood up, turning his back on her pointedly.

"Have a good day at school, Rin."

Their thirteen year old daughter, who had just padded into the kitchen, nodded sleepily as she rubbed her eyes. "Have a good day at work, Dad." She gave Sesshomaru a fleeting hug as he passed her on his way out.

Kagome clenched her fists at her sides as the door slammed. So he wouldn't say anything to her, hmm? Not a single word? "Rin, what would you like for breakfast?" she asked, trying to keep it cool. She was slightly embarrassed that her daughter had seen the fight. "Toast? Eggs?"

"I'll eat at school," said Rin coolly.

At this like-father-like-daughter reply, Kagome lost it, her temper already roused by Sesshomaru's diss. "The breakfast program at school is for kids whose parents aren't home in the morning! I'm here, aren't I?" she shouted. "Now what do you want?"

Rin gave her a blank look. "The eggs are burning." She flicked open a compact mirror and started touching up her already perfectly shellacked lashes with mascara.

Eyes widening, Kagome spun around to see the eggs smoking on the frying pan, the shells buried in the solid yolk. Cursing, she hurried to the stove and turned the heat off, transferring the pan to a cool grid. She was too late. She glared down at the black eggs, which were still crackling and sizzling. _Damn…_ "Looks like the eggs are ruined," she growled. Then she jumped as the sound of a slamming door assaulted her ears for the second time that morning. She turned to see that Rin had gone. Again, like father, like daughter, there had been not a word of goodbye.

"Have a…" Blinking rapidly to suppress her tears, Kagome gave up and sat down at the table, yanking off her apron. She buried her face in her hands and tried to control her breathing. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest, and her cheeks were burning. _Why is my life so awful? How in the world did I get into this mess? This… sorry excuse for a marriage? Why do I feel like a stranger in my own home?_

The ringing of her cell phone distracted her from her misery, and she shuffled to the spacious living room to take the call. A photo of her best friend grinning was on the screen. She tapped the green phone icon and held the Samsung Galaxy S6 to her ear. "Hello?" she said dully.

"Heyyy," purred Sango. "What's up?"

"Not much…"

"Hey, what's up?" she repeated, concerned by Kagome's tone of voice. "Is Sesshomaru being a jackass again? 'Cause if he is, I can be over there in five and give him a good pounding for you…"

Kagome smiled for the first time in what felt like days. "Yeah, maybe… He's such a jerk. And now he has a Mini-Me. Rin certainly wants to be _just_ like her father when she grows up." There was a healthy dose of bitterness in her statement.

Sango snorted. "Are you kidding? What else is new?..." And then it sunk in. "No way. She's jackassing you?" she shouted. "Sesshomaru-style?"

Kagome stared at the wall, her trembling hand barely holding her phone in place. _Sango, if only you knew. I can hardly tell the difference between them anymore._ But instead of spilling her guts, she uttered a noncommittal grunt.

"Oh my God. She is, isn't she? How dare she? To her own mother?" There was some rustling on Sango's line. "I swear, Kagome, I am going to hunt her down and set her straight…"

"Please don't," Kagome sighed. "I just don't have the energy to deal with _them_ anymore, Sango."

"Divorce him!" urged Sango. "And give him full custody of the ungrateful little brat while you're at it! It's time you should stand up for yourself! Don't let those ungrateful dogs tread all over you like that, like you're a doormat or something! Take control of your life, girlfriend! And remember, I've got your back all the way!"

At this, Kagome lost it. The tears she had barely been holding back burst free from their refinements and flowed freely down her cheeks, her shoulders shaking. Unnoticed in her misery, her phone slipped from her grasp and fell to the floor, clattering loudly on the polished wood. She doubled over and sobbed openly. This was all just too much. She couldn't take it much longer; the frosty silences, the sneering… What had gone wrong? Why was her stupid life so stupidly… stupid? What had she done to deserve this? A husband who treated her like furniture, a daughter who disrespected her to her face, who obviously hated her?

She regretted so much; meeting Sesshomaru, marrying Sesshomaru, and basically just _Sesshomaru_. What had she ever seen in him? That cold arrogance, the way he acted like the world was his oyster. Her friends had been skeptical of their relationship, telling her that there was no way such a prominent figure as Sesshomaru Takahashi would stay with her for long. Not that _she_ was subpar, of course, they had assured her. But a man with his looks and his prestige and his money would have women lining up at his door, women who came from wealthy families, women who could walk in ten-inch stilettos. It was like marrying a movie star; you could never be sure he could be faithful, because of all the hot actresses he would meet. But like the fool she was, she had brushed aside their misgivings and fallen in love with the ice prince. And when she fell, he caught her and swept her up in all she could ever have dreamed of; a perfect wedding, a tastefully decorated house with sprawling grounds… and what she _thought_ was love.

Well, not anymore. She didn't know why he had married her, or why he still kept her around, but she wouldn't wait to be kicked out of his house. She would walk out with her pride intact. She would divorce Sesshomaru Takahashi.

-oOo-

Kagome was back in the kitchen, impatiently waiting for the water to boil so she could fix a cup of tea, when the front door slammed open.

Heart jumping into the back of her throat, she leapt to her feet. "Wh-who's there?" she called unsteadily. She eyed the steaming pan of water. Would it make more of a weapon or hindrance? There were some really sharp knives in the drawer…

"Kagome? It's me, Sango!"

She relaxed her grip on the butcher knife when her best friend hurried into the kitchen with wild, untamed hair. "What the hell are you doing here?" _Rin must have left the door unlocked..._

"When you dropped the phone and started crying, I got really worried, so I rushed here as fast as I could." Sango ran her fingers through her hair. "I could really use a brush…" Then her gaze turned serious. "Kagome, are you okay?"

At the question, Kagome felt her eyes watering again, but for entirely a different reason than ten minutes ago. She had known Sango since elementary school, but hadn't become best friends until junior high. Since then, they had been inseparable. "Sango… You're such a good friend," she sniffled. She couldn't believe her friend had actually driven over so quickly after their call… And then immediately felt guilty for thinking _that._ But that wasn't entirely her fault; two certain people she had loved had been ripping at her heart for years. She might have trust issues, thanks to _them._

Sango's shoulders slumped. "Don't cry," she protested. Nevertheless, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Kagome. "Come on, let's sit on the couch and you can tell me all about it if you want to."

Kagome nodded, her face buried in Sango's shoulder. "Okay…" she mumbled. "You might want to turn off the water first."

Her friend pushed her away gently, laughing. "Go on, make yourself comfortable. I'll finish up the tea; the water's hot enough anyways. Peppermint with brown sugar, right?"

"Do you even have to ask?" Kagome joked in that odd voice that people use when they laugh suddenly after crying. She padded out of the kitchen and yanked a couple stray jackets off the couch to make room for two. She sat down on the silky cushions. She didn't have to wait long for her friend to return; before long, Sango was bustling into the living room, carrying a tray with a teapot and two teacups perched on it precariously.

"So," Sango began, after settling the tray on the coffee table. "Can you talk about it?"

Kagome nodded. "Yeah. You know how crappy my relationship with Sesshomaru has been lately, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, this morning, I was in the kitchen with him, and I had these eggs in my hand, and I asked him how many eggs he wanted. And then he spouts some crap about eating at the company. I don't know why, but it's like my temper just rocketed away from me; I threw the eggs into the pan and started yelling at him. He didn't say anything, he just left… And when Rin walked in and I asked _her_ what she wanted, she spouts some crap about eating the school!"

"Ohhhhh."

"Yeah, so I was yelling at her, and then she tells me the eggs are burning, and I turn around, and what do you know? Those eggs I threw down are burning, with the shells still there, so by the time I've got it off the heat, Rin is gone. And then that's where you called me." Kagome wound up her story with a sigh. Now that she had recounted it aloud, she realized how out of hand she herself had been. She hadn't needed to yell. But that didn't change the fact that Sesshomaru was an asshole, and that Rin was following in his Ferragamo-shaped footsteps.

"That sounds like a perfectly awful morning," Sango decreed. "If Miroku and I ever get married, and he and our kid started bullshitting on me like that, I would snap like that too, only worse probably. I don't really blame you. I mean, just this morning, and you might have been too snappy, but add in all those last years, and I admire you for your self-control."

Kagome laughed bitterly, taking a sweet sip of her peppermint tea. "Thanks." She stared over the rim of her teacup into her best friend's wide brown eyes. "You know, Sango, about that divorce…"

Sango sat up eagerly, eyes shining. "Yeah?"

"I've been thinking…"

-oOo-

Sesshomaru lingered on his doorstep, reluctant to enter his own home. He steeled his nerve and unlocked the door, stepping inside to the warmly lit interior of the entrance hall.

"I'm home."

"Hi, Sesshomaru."

He slid out of his shoes. He had to admit, he was surprised by the welcome.

"How was your day?"

"It was acceptable," he said. Feeling that her question required a response of the same ilk, he asked in response, "And yours?"

She stared at him, and he got the feeling that she was hiding something from him. "It was okay, I guess. We need to talk."

Ignoring the last statement, Sesshomaru set down his briefcase on the kitchen table. "You know where Rin is, yes?"

She frowned. "Actually, no. She didn't come home from school… But I decided not to worry."

He looked up at her, his eyes burning with anger.

She blinked at him insolently. "What? It's not the first time it's happened. Besides, I'm sure _you_ know where she is."

"She texted me saying she would be eating dinner at a friend's," said Sesshomaru. "But that does not excuse the fact that you were willing to dismiss our daughter's unexcused absence so easily." His voice might as well have been a sword edged with diamond.

She rolled her eyes. " _Our_ daughter? It really doesn't feel like that, you know. She shows me _zero_ respect, Sesshomaru. Don't you think a daughter should tell her mother if she won't be home after school as usual?"

Sesshomaru searched for an excuse. "Perhaps she forgot."

"Maybe she has selective memory loss, then!" shouted Kagome. "Because every single time something important comes up, it's _you_ she goes to, not me!"

"Perhaps that is because she feels that you are not a good mother," he replied, refusing to shout in return. He met her angry blue eyes, and spoke the words he knew would hurt her the most. "Perhaps I feel the same."

He took a perverse pleasure in seeing the hurt cloud her beautiful features. _She deserved it,_ he thought.

"Whatever. This isn't about Rin."

"Oh?"

She seemed to gather up the courage. "It's about _us._ "

He took off his jacket and hung it on a hook affixed to the wall. He decided to hurt her more. "There is no us."

At first, there was silence, and he wondered if she would rush up to her room in tears. It wouldn't be the first time. But then she spoke in a surprisingly steady voice.

"Then you wouldn't disagree to a divorce, then?"

He spun around. "What?" He had to have heard wrong. There was no way she could have...

She was staring at him, arms crossed. Her defiant posture screamed stubbornness. "I said what I said. I'm not happy with my life, the life you have provided me with. I'm done. _We're_ done. I'm getting a divorce, and from your remarks, I gather that you will not put up a fight, which is good, because I'd like to move on with my life as soon as possible. There are better men to meet." She spat out the last words with a venom that shocked even he, the ice prince.

To his credit, Sesshomaru's mask of indifference did not slip. "If that is what you think, then you are mistaken. You are not leaving."

She narrowed her eyes. "Listen, buddy. 'There is no us.' That is a direct quote from you. We. Are. Getting. A. Divorce. And don't you dare try to fight it. You have no right, after all you've put me through."

"How do you get off being the wronged party here?" questioned Sesshomaru. "It is I who am inconvenienced by this marriage."

Kagome bit her lip. So he was going be an asshole, all the way, huh? "Fine, then. So you'll sign on the dotted line when I give you the form? After all, I'll be taking myself off your hands."

"No. There will not be a divorce."

"Make up your fucking mind!" she screamed. "Let's face it, this marriage is screwed. So let's just end it now and start over with separate lives."

"No." Sesshomaru walked over to the fridge. "This matter is settled." He heard, with his superior demon ears, the front door opening, and caught Rin's scent.

"What the hell, you _fucking douchebag?_ " Kagome shrieked, clenching her fists so hard that her knuckles cracked. "Make up your _goddamn_ mind! I will not waste any more of my life with you!"

There was a resounding slapping sound, and the entire left half of her face was burning with a suddenness and intensity that was shocking. She stared at the wall uncomprehendingly. _What…?_ She had been glaring at Sesshomaru just now, hadn't she? Why was her head suddenly turned to the right? She slowly raised her hand to her cheek, caressing the throbbing flesh, and straightened her head. Kagome's eyes widened. Sesshomaru's searing amber irises were inches from her own. Agonizingly slowly, she realized what had happened.

 _Oh...no...he...DIDN'T!_

"DId you just...slap me?" she asked, an undercurrent of ominous doom to her words.

He stared coolly into her accusing eyes, and stepped back. "You were disrespectful and deserving of punishment."

Kagome was at a loss for words. She could feel her blood throbbing in her face, and her heartbeat was loud in her ears. He had slandered her every chance he had gotten, sure, he had mocked her and ridiculed her, but never before had he hit her. He...had...hit her. Hit her. He had really done it.

"Oh my god!"

Her head jerked around, and saw with horror, Rin standing in the hall, staring at them with what looked like delight in her eyes. How long had her daughter been standing there? Had she…? No, there was no doubt. She had witnessed, at the very least, the slap.

"Rin…?" she said weakly. "Go to your room now."

Rin ignored her and turned to Sesshomaru instead. "Dad, are you _finally_ going to divorce her?" There was no mistaking the eagerness in her voice.

Every word was like a lance, stabbing and ripping at Kagome's heart. This felt so surreal. This couldn't be her own daughter saying those awful things. It couldn't be.

Sesshomaru shook his head. "There will not be a divorce, Rin. Now go to your room."

"Aww!" But Rin obeyed her father and trudged off reluctantly upstairs, casting glances over her shoulder at her parents, as if she were afraid of missing out on any more action.

In the silence that followed, Sesshomaru looked back to Kagome. "Get your act together, woman," he said coldly. "And never insult me so again. And do not mention a divorce ever again. I will decide when to cast you out of my life."

She closed her eyes, and a single tear coursed down her still-throbbing cheek. When she opened her eyes again, Sesshomaru was still staring at her. "Is that understood?"

And at the moment when she should have fought for what she wanted, when she should have been yelling and screaming at him, Kagome did the very opposite. Her vision blurring with hot tears, she fumbled for her keys and purse and dashed out of her-no, _his_ -house. As she ran down the walk, the crying began in earnest. She could barely press down on the unlock button of her car remote with her thumb, and opening the door of her car was a challenge, because she kept snatching at the handle. After what seemed like an eternity, she was backing out of the driveway, headlights lighting a path through the night.

And sobbing like a child, hands shaking on the wheel, seat belt unfastened, Kagome drove away from her life, unaware that Sesshomaru was leaning against the open doorway, watching her go with an indiscernible look in his fiery eyes.

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 **Inteeense! :) What do you guys think? Do you like it? ...Or naw? I kinda thought I used too many "..."s in this chapter, I'm not really sure though. Any other stuff you'd like to tell me, feel free to leave a review! Remember, reviews are inspiration! :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you to all for following and favoriting, and maybe for reviewing; I had no idea this would be so popular!**

 **Remember,** **consider the TITLE of the story. It's called** ** _The Long Way Home,_** **and no, I didn't name it on a whim. I gave it some thought. It foreshadows how long and difficult the road to redemption will be for the characters in this story.**

 **Just thought I'd toss that out there.**

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CH 2

Sesshomaru watched the taillights shrink to tiny pinpoints of light in the distance, somehow feeling detached from it all, as if it were all a dream. He had not just hit his own wife. Said wife had not just dashed out of the house.

"Dad?"

He turned around to see Rin in her orange-and-yellow checkered pajamas.

"Rin, go back to bed." His voice was firm and brooked no argument, but still his daughter hesitated.

One foot stepping backwards, she questioned him softly, staring at him with those large doe eyes. "Is she not coming back?"

He closed his eyes, the familiar feeling of his beast struggling to gain control consuming his body. "Of course she is." When he was certain the red would not show in his eyes, he opened them again to see that Rin was staring at him doubtfully.

"You can tell me the truth, you know."

"That is all there is to know, Rin. Your mother is simply upset right now. She is taking a short break."

"Wish she'd take a break forever," muttered his daughter, swiping her mouth with a wand of pale pink lip gloss.

Sesshomaru couldn't hold back his curiosity anymore. "Rin, why is it that you hold such animosity towards your mother?" He had never encouraged such behavior from her. Of course, he had never discouraged it either.

She shrugged, pouting her shiny lips. Sesshomaru was suddenly reminded of the beautiful high society females who chased after him, and he banished the thought, displeased at the notion of his little Rin being anything like those bitches. "I don't know. Hey, I'm going to heat up some milk to have with some honey. Do you want some?"

"Rin. I asked you a question."

"So did I."

He stared at her, and she met his gaze unflinchingly. When had she become so disrespectful? "Rin, tell me. Now," he added. In years past, the word and his tone combined would have guaranteed a prompt response from Rin. Not now.

She blinked coolly. "Look, Dad, I don't really know." Lies. He could detect its stench in the air. "It's getting kind of late, and I really have this homework I need to finish."

Sesshomaru sensed that there was something she wasn't telling him, but gave it up for the moment. He would ask her again some other time, when her guard was down. "If you need any help, do not hesitate to ask me."

"I will, thanks." Flashing a laser-brightened smile, she turned to leave, then looked back. "So you want the milk and honey?"

He frowned, something tugging at his consciousness. Had they missed something of their daily routine? And then he had it. "Don't you want dinner?"

"Nah. Ate a big lunch." His daughter never ate lunch. "If you want, I could make something for you, though. Popcorn maybe?"

He shrugged it off. "No, I'm fine. One missed meal will hardly kill me."

"Okay, then. Two mugs of hot milk. Got it. Any preferences on the spices? We have marshmallows."

Marshmallow a spice? "Just honey." He would have liked some cinnamon, but did not trust Rin to deliver. She would probably have looked for it in the freezer.

"Okay. I'll bring it up to your study."

"Thank you."

"Mm-hmm."

.

.

.

-oOo-

.

.

.

 _It's raining._

 _The taiyoukai stands at the intersection in his expensive charcoal gray designer suit, dripping wet, waiting for the pedestrian's light to flick on. His thick hair, normally silky and light, has absorbed the rain and is now little better than a drenched blanket hanging from his head. He is on his lunch break. He should have taken the limo from the company, he thinks with a surly twist of his lips. But he always takes the opportunity to walk when he can, spending most of his day cooped up behind a desk. It reminds him of days long past when he used to roam his vast lands. He only wanted to stretch his legs. And now he is paying the price._

 _The streets are less crowded now, and the majority of the people who populate the pavement are shielded from the downpour by colorful umbrellas. They hurry past him, rainwater splishing and sploshing with their every step. One such splash lands on the cuff of his slacks, and he grits his fangs until he realizes that every inch of him is soaking wet anyways._

 _The imbecilic traffic light, it seems, is in stasis, and Sesshomaru is considering swallowing his pride and calling for someone from the company to come pick him up when suddenly, the irritating little plips of raindrops on his person cease. He wonders briefly if the rain has stopped, but that cannot be, because all around him, the rain continues to fall. just not on him. He looks up and the top of his head brushes against a brilliant indigo canopy. He turns to see a girl standing beside him, shivering in the cold._

 _She is young, fifteen or sixteen if he had to make a guess. She is dry for the most part, but will not be for much longer because her arm is stretched high above her in an effort to shield the much taller person from the rain with her umbrella. Already, droplets cling to the tips of her inky locks, and her lips glisten like rose petals touched with morning dew. She smiles at him with those beautiful lips._

 _"Hey," she says._

 _He stares at her, then reaches out and puts his hand over hers, guiding the umbrella back over her head. "Thank you, but you should take care of yourself. Humans are more vulnerable to illness." His voice is impeccably, impersonally polite._

 _"Well, humans tend to be more vulnerable to compassion, too," the little thing retorts with a lively flash of her mesmerizing blue eyes, and sticks her umbrella back over his head with the air of an obstinate mule, thus welcoming the rain onto her own head._

 _He narrows his eyes at her and repeats his last action, this time none too gently. "Save your compassion for someone who needs, wants, and appreciates it."_

 _"You're one-thirds of the way there," says the girl, and returns her umbrella to its position over his head._

 _She is irritating him, but Sesshomaru does not have the patience to argue with her. Not now, while he is soaked to the bone. So he yanks the umbrella from her grasp, ignoring her indignant gasp, but instead of thrusting it into her arms, he moves over so he is almost- -almost- -pressed up against the girl, and maneuvers the contraption until it shields them both. He stares straight ahead, his jaw twitching, refusing to acknowledge the insufferable wench by his side._

 _"There, that wasn't so hard, was it?" says the girl cheerfully. He knows, he knows that she is smiling at him, but he cannot reply because he is a stone wall, a potted plant, incapable of response._

 _Finally the traffic light changes, and they cross the street. He hates the fact that they look like a couple, but one good thing about the rain is that it dilutes the view of a camera. Even the most dedicated of paparazzi will be foiled by the tears of the heavens, much to his relief. He cannot imagine the shame and humiliation he would have to endure if pictures of him with the girl and allegations of their involvement began to circulate on social media._

 _Step by step, the street is crossed, and step by step, the strange duo proceed along the streets until they get to a bus stop, which is a bench enclosed on three sides and the top by glass walls. Here the girl makes her exit._

 _"This is where my bus will come," she says with a beam._

 _He tries to give her the umbrella, but she waves him away. "You need it more than I do."_

 _He bristles, feeling like a charity case, but she only laughs and directs the indigo umbrella so it is positioned firmly above him._

 _"Have a good day, mister."_

 _He knows it is pointless to argue, so he walks away without a backwards glance. He decides to stash the umbrella in the company closet upon his return and forget about the strange girl, but as he is folding up the wet thing in the lobby of Takahashi Corp., he notices a tag attached to it. He reads it, and he learns that the girl's name is Kagome Higurashi. He also learns that to return the item if found, he should call a certain number. He ponders it, then commits the digits to memory._

 _The girl did him a service, after all, and no good deed should go unrewarded._

.

.

.

-oOo-

.

.

.

The day he and his wife had met… He remembered it with stunning clarity. Little had he known then that the smiling stranger in the rain would become his smiling bride at the altar.

Sesshomaru sipped at his milk, enjoying the sweet, creamy taste as it slid down his throat, warming his empty stomach.

The fact that his stomach was empty reminded him of his wife's absence. If she had been here, she would have forced him and Rin to sit down and eat dinner. It was a daily occurrence. Rin hated eating dinner because of her obsession with staying skinny, and Sesshomaru was too busy with work to worry about food. He was a youkai, after all, a Taiyoukai at that. He didn't need to eat everyday. Three meals a day was an indulgence, not a necessity. He ate, however, to avoid a long and drawn-out fight. Her cooking wasn't too bad on the palate, either, which was a plus.

Speaking of his wife…

Sesshomaru wondered what she was doing. Where had she gone? He suspected that she had rushed to her best friend's house. She would probably sob out her heart and return in the morning. He snorted delicately. Yes, she would come crawling back with her tail between her legs, begging for another chance. He leaned back leisurely in his chair, smirking at the thought.

Sesshomaru had no clue that he was wrong.

Dead wrong.

-oOo-

* * *

 **Not nearly as angsty as the first chapter, but you can't expect heart-wrenching angst every chapter, can you?**

 **Don't worry, what I have planned for next chapter will make you guys want to un-man Sess... That I can promise. So, on that happy note,**

 **Ciao,**

 **Stardust Miko**

 **p.s. I made a doujinshi (short comic) out of the umbrella scene, and the link is on my profile if you'd like to check it out!**


	3. Chapter 3

**ATTENTION!**

 **Before we start, I would like to warn that this chapter contains disturbing and potentially deeply upsetting factors. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!**

* * *

CH 3

" _You have reached the voice mailbox of…"_

Sango frowned and tapped the red circle on her phone screen, ending her thirteenth call to Kagome. "What the hell?" She stared at Kagome's laughing contact photo, wondering why her friend wasn't picking up. Could it be something with Sesshomaru again? She went to her Messages and scrolled through their conversation. Well, the last part was more one-sided than anything, and that was what was so worrying.

 **Hey how did the div talk go**

 **Earth to Kagome…**

 **Hello**

 **?**

 **?**

 **Kagome r u ok**

 **Kagome ANSWER ME**

 **KAGOME!**

Pursing her lips, Sango made up her mind. "Hey, Kohaku, I'm going over to Kagome's," she shouted as she got up from the black faux leather couch.

"Yeah, I think you'd better," was the faint answer.

Her frown deepened. "What? Why?" When there was no reply, she ran down to the basement, where Kohaku was working out. "What do you mean?"

He blinked up at her, sweat running down his face as he ran the treadmill. "Rin sent me a text inviting me over to her house like two hours ago; said her mom just left after a huge fight with her dad. Usually her mom doesn't let her have any friends over after dinner, but she said that her dad probably wouldn't mind. Anyways, I'm not going. I don't really like her that much."

Sango gaped at him, only processing the last part of his speech. "Since when do you have Rin's number? I thought you knew not to hang out with that… girl! You know how she behaves at home! Haven't I told you enough horror stories?"

He shrugged, turning back to the dashboard of his treadmill. "She got my number somehow and has been texting me. I answer once a while, that's all."

She shook her head firmly. "No. I won't have you communicating with her at all." Then something clicked. " _What?_ " she practically screamed. "Kagome left the house? She had a huge fight with Sesshomaru?"

"Apparently. Can you please leave now?" He turned up the music, effectively ending the conversation.

Sango's heart began to pound, louder and louder until her heartbeat was all she could hear. Where was Kagome? If the fight had been at least two hours ago, why wasn't she here? Where could she be? Her eyes drifted down to the phone clutched tightly in her hand, and she remembered the unanswered calls and texts. _Could she… could she have run away?_ Her eyes widened at this possibility. _No way… but there's no other answer! She must have decided to disappear somewhere!_

Before she knew it, she was opening her garage door and sliding into her black Toyota. She stabbed her keys into the ignition and felt the engine purr in response. Biting her lip, she set course for Kagome's house… er, Sesshomaru's house.

In reality, the drive only took seven minutes, but it seemed like a hundred had gone by before she was pulling into Sesshomaru's driveway, Kagome having taught her the passcode for the security gate at the edge of the Takahashi estate. Sango quickly turned off the engine and jumped out of her car, practically running to the front door. Breathlessly, she rang the doorbell, and waited for an eternity until the door finally opened. Immediately, her expression of anxiety transformed to one of intense dislike.

Rin stood in the doorway, arms crossed over her maturing chest and hips jutted out in a defiant pose. "Where's Kohaku?" Her voice was petulant, and the scowl on her glossy lips irritated Sango.

"Out of my way, squirt. I need to talk to your father."

"He's not interested in a slut like you," sneered the teenager, one hand on the doorknob. "Good _night_ , and I hope you get in an accident." She tried to shut the door, but Sango stuck her foot out and stopped it from closing just in time.

"Sesshomaru!" she shouted, ignoring the little banshee, knowing he would hear her with his demonic hearing. "Can I come in? It's Sango!"

"Shut up!" Rin hissed, eyes narrowed to slits. "And get lost!" She drew back the door and tried to slam it shut as hard as she could, but Sango seized the opportunity and darted inside the house, shoving past the shrieking obstacle.

She ran for the stairs, knowing Sesshomaru would be in his study. When she felt manicured talons snatching at her shirt, she blindly lashed out behind her with her hand, trying to slap the little bitch. A smack and a scream told her she had succeeded. Feeling the grip on her clothes loosen, she triumphantly dashed up the last couple stairs… and ran straight into Sesshomaru.

"Oof!" She fell back, but leapt to her feet instantly. "Sesshomaru!"

"What are you doing in my home?" he inquired coldly, staring her down.

She stared at him right back. Behind her, Rin was panting but immobile, waiting for her father's verdict. "I need to talk to you."

"It seems you are doing so now."

"In _private_." She stressed the last word with a meaningful dip of her head in Rin's direction. "It's about Kagome."

He blinked coolly. "In that case…"

She started forward eagerly.

"...you may leave."

She stopped in her tracks, hearing Rin crow delightedly behind her. "What?"

"Leave." He pointed an elegant finger down the staircase in the general direction of the door, as if she were an idiot. "Or I will forcibly remove you from the premises."

"No!" she snapped. "This is important." Without waiting for a rebuttal, she pushed past Sesshomaru and stalked toward his study, surprised when she only heard footsteps following her quietly. Entering the handsomely furnished room, she sat down in front of his desk and waited for him to sit. When he did, after closing and locking the door, giving her a look that said, _you had better not be wasting my time_ , she started talking.

"Kagome hasn't answered her phone all night."

He merely blinked at her, as if to say, _get on with it._

"Apparently, she left two hours ago. Is that true?"

"More or less. Is that all?"

"No. What exactly did you do to drive her out?"

"I showed her her place."

Now it was her turn to blink, but it wasn't on purpose. "What?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you simple?"

"No! What _exactly_ did you do?"

"I showed her her place."

It was clear he would not elaborate, so Sango changed tack. "So what _is_ her place, Sesshomaru? All these years you've been abusing her… what exactly is she to you?" She waited with bated breath for his answer.

He did not answer.

She stared at him, bottom lip trembling. What could this mean? Did he really hold Kagome in that much contempt? Had _he_ been thinking about a divorce as well? With the way he was acting, he obviously didn't plan on keeping her around as his wife much longer. Her toes tingled, recognizing that the time was right.

Sango took a deep breath. _This is it. This is my chance._ She gazed calmly at Sesshomaru, thrilling at the way he was looking back at her. Those deep amber eyes… that beautiful silver hair… those gorgeous markings… and that _ridiculously sexy body…_

 _I can do this. I'm a damn lot sexier that Kagome ever was._

She reached down to grip the bottom of her shirt, and pulled it slowly over her head, dropping it to the wood panels below. He was still staring at her, hands clasped relaxedly on the desk, not saying anything, _not moving to stop her_.

 _Yes!_

Smiling a little now, she reached back to unclasp her bra.

"What are you doing, woman?" His voice was quiet, but it was quite effective in making her freeze.

"What do you think I'm doing?" she replied, trying to be coy. _Don't drop the ball now, Sango… You're almost there, girl! After so many years too…_

Sesshomaru opened his mouth to reply, but froze when his cell phone rang; they both froze. With wide eyes, Sango watched him slide his phone closer. From her point of view, it was easy to see that it was Kagome. He looked at the screen, and then he looked at her. She looked at him. They stayed this way until the call went to voicemail, the tinny recording sounding deafening in the silence that filled the study. Slowly, Sango reached for her bra clasp again, but the phone rang… again. He was staring at her now, and she was staring at him, each daring the other to answer the call.

"She left," Sango said quietly. "She left the house."

"She did," he acknowledged. A predatory look entered his eyes, thrilling the animalistic past of her soul. "Do you understand that this is to be a single occurrence, never to be repeated?" He wasn't talking about the phone. Duh.

Sango nodded breathlessly, and with a smirk, Sesshomaru muted his phone, tossing it into a desk drawer.

.

.

.

-oOo-

.

.

.

Kagome spent almost two whole hours driving randomly through the streets of Tokyo before finally turning onto the highway; the full amount of time it took for her to stop crying.

At first, with the tears dry and stiff on her face, her whole body was numb, every inch of her flesh as unfeeling as a corpse's. Then, as the feeling returned to her struck cheek with a vengeance, burning and throbbing and tingling, all her self-pity and hurt slowly transformed into fury.

How dare he? How _dare_ he strike his own wife?... Not that he considered her to be anymore, obviously. The bastard. The _fucking_ bastard. For far too long she had quietly suffered under his abuse. Practically _let_ him trod all over her. _Well_ , she vowed to herself, _no more._ It all ended tonight. And in her fury, she didn't even hear the continuous calls and texts ringing from her phone.

Kagome gripped the steering wheel, urging her car to pick up speed. As she roared down the highway, edging dangerously over the speed limit, she realized something. The car was from _him_. One of many engagement presents. Suddenly, she wanted to jump out the window, glass or no glass, going ninety kilo per hour or not. The plush leather lining, previously so comfortable, was like a bed of rusty nails, and the safe, warm atmosphere was now a grim, oppressive one that weighed down her lungs with every carefully measured breath she took. She wanted _nothing_ that had come from his wallet.

Her breathing became ragged as she realized that the clothes she wore had been bought by his money. Her purse and everything in it, which had already been inside her car when she fled. Her phone. Her jewelry. Her ring, of course. Her _haircut_ , for god's sake. Her fingers twitched with the obsessive desire to strip naked and hack her hair into uneven chunks. Suddenly afraid of herself, she whimpered softly.

 _I need to get out._

She seized the opportunity that came in the form of a highway exit, and took it without even glancing at the sign. She wove through the streets for a couple more minutes, vaguely noticing that she was in Tokyo, then pulled into an empty parking lot.

Still wearing her seatbelt, she started stripping off her jewelry. Not that she had much on to begin with, but still, a Tiffany diamond necklace, a pair of custom-made sapphire earrings, and a Cartier watch found themselves tossed carelessly on the passenger seat, still warm from their contact with warm flesh. They were quickly joined by her Chanel vintage purse.

She was about to take off her wedding ring, then she hesitated. _Maybe… just in case…_ She left it on and slid her wallet and phone into her pocket. She didn't want to take her wallet along, but she needed the ID cards. She had bought her phone with her own money. It was something she had insisted on, and she was grateful for it now. Taking a deep breath, Kagome got out of her car. Taking the keys out of the ignition, she locked the car with the remote and tossed the keys onto the driver's seat before closing the door with a final slam. She let out the breath she had taken, and took in another one, savoring the clean, fresh air.

 _This is what freedom tastes like_ , she thought with a smile. _I am sad no more; I will be trodden on no more. I'm a new person!_

As soon as possible, she would get a new phone and transfer all the information she needed onto there. Then she could ditch this phone, just in case _he_ decided to track her, although she couldn't imagine why he would. As for her wallet, she would obviously be replacing it.

With a skip in her step, Kagome took off down the streets, her heart light with her newfound freedom… but it didn't take long for reality to come crashing down around her.

As she looked around, it was clear to see that she was in the slums of Tokyo. Paint peeled off of buildings and billboards, and cigarette butts littered the streets. On the corners stood huddled groups of men with tendrils of smoke trailing up from the mouths of their drawn hoods. The fact that it was nighttime made things all the worse.

Kagome swallowed hard. _Oh, crap._ Why hadn't she looked around before parking? This was definitely one of those 'don't go walking around here after dark' neighborhoods. She hunched up as she walked, trying to make herself a smaller target, but already she was attracting attention. Men were lowering their cigarettes and turning their hooded heads to stare at her as she walked quickly past. Starting to shiver, she made herself walk faster, the sound of her feet on the asphalt deafening to her ears. When she made it a couple of blocks without being intercepted, she began to have hope. Maybe she could make it to a library or something and crash there until morning.

And then a large hand closed heavily over her shoulder, spinning her around roughly.

Terrified, Kagome stared up into the grinning, scruffy face of a middle-aged man with badly dyed blonde hair. Greasy strands of natural black wove in and out of the scraggly yellow hair, making quite an ugly sight. But the ugliest thing about the man was the look in his squinty little piggy eyes.

"Let me go," she said loudly, swallowing her fear. "Let me go _now_."

He chuckled, and she felt a twinge of fear when his equally ugly friends began to emerge from the shadows, all of them leering at her with the same awful grin. "I don't think so, missy," he sneered, exhaling cigar breath into her face. "See, you're in our territory. So, you're ours." His friends chuckled and nodded, edging around their leader in an attempt to surround her.

A scream was rising up in her throat. Kagome let it out, a piercing shriek that echoed off the dilapidated buildings, and wrenched herself free from his hold with a surge of terrified strength. She turned tail and bolted down the street, running as fast as she could. The streets were deserted now. _No witnesses._ She found herself praying for a policeman on duty. Tears formed in her eyes when she could hear the sounds of pursuit behind her.

 _This can't be happening to me. No, no, no..._

" _No!_ " she screamed when someone tackled her to the ground, pinning her down with their heavy body. "Let me go! _Help! Somebody help me, please!_ " A hand yanked at her hair roughly.

"Shut up, woman!"

" _No!_ " She thrashed around like an eel, putting her whole heart into the effort, and by some miracle managed to unseat the scumbag sitting on top of her just enough so she could scramble to her feet. She started running again, but this time they were closer, and hands were grabbing at her.

Desperate, she turned left into an alley. Hurdling over a cardboard box, she turned right, ran, turned left, ran, turned left, ran, then turned right again. She looked down the length of the alleyway, and decided to hide instead of running more. Gasping for breath, she crawled behind a trash can, getting behind cover just as the gang skidded to a halt right in front of her hiding place.

"Where'd she go?" someone growled, and she knew they were looking down the length of the alleyway but couldn't see her.

"I can't hear her running," another said hoarsely.

"She's got to be hiding."

"Yeah!"

There was a chorus of general agreement, and they began to overturn boxes loudly in their enthusiastic search, and she knew it was only a matter of time until they found her. Sucking in a breath, she darted out from behind the trashcan and took off again, tears streaming down her face. They were shouting behind her.

 _Please, no, oh god please no, why me? Not me! Please not me!_

Her side was burning, and her legs were tiring out. Her body was failing her. _Just a little further,_ she promised her body. _Please, carry me just a little further._ She started turning left and right again in a dizzying pattern, hoping to lose the gang. But no matter what she did, they always managed to stay on her. And they were slowly catching up to her.

 _I don't want to die like this! Never like this!_

Left, right, right, right, left, left.

She couldn't hear them anymore. Had she lost them?

She took one last left and ran blindly, not noticing where she was heading until she looked up and saw the worst thing she could see in this situation; a brick wall.

A dead end.

Kagome was close to fainting, and in her dazed terror she tripped over an ancient, rolled up newspaper lying in the street. With a cry, she fell, and as she fell, her phone clattered out of her pocket, bouncing hard against the ground.

Her phone!

She crawled frantically forward and snatched it up, holding it close to her face. She tried to turn it on, but it didn't respond. To her horror, she realized the screen was cracked. She pressed the home button, but it didn't turn on. The fall must have damaged it somehow.

Shit, shit, shit! She rapped the corner of the phone hard against the cement, glancing fearfully over her shoulder. She pressed the home button again, and to her relief, it turned on. But there was something wrong; almost half of the screen was black, with staticky edges. Lips trembling, she went to her Calls. On the dialpad, she tried to type in 119, but the 9 was one of the numbers that had been blacked out. In fact, most of the numbers had been; she could only access the 0 and the 1, plus the # if that actually counted. What the hell was she going to do? There _was_ an emergency call button that went straight to 119, but she couldn't even see it, the damage was so bad. She held down her thumb on the 1, unable to stop her arms from shaking. She gasped when the screen went to the Calling screen. What…?

The speed dial. And her number one speed dial was Sesshomaru. She let the call connect, staring at the bright screen. Would he pick up? And if he did, if she begged him for help, would he come? He certainly could come in time; he could summon that orb of his and be here in seconds. He could rip apart her tormentors with a flick of his whip. But the question was: would he?

There was only one way to find out. She raised the phone to her ear, and the screen turned fully dark as her skin made contact with the screen, the brightness thankfully disappearing. She let out a shaky breath as she listened the the dial tones. As she waited, she curled up in the corner, hoping the shadows would conceal her.

 _Please pick up, please pick up,_ she prayed.

 _Drrrr…. Drrrr…. Drrr…._

But he didn't pick up. She disconnected the call before it went to voicemail by clicking the power button on the side of her phone, which still worked, and dialed him again, and again, and again.

 _Drrr… Drrr… Drrr…_ She waited, and as she waited, she pulled her cardigan tighter around her, as if that would shield her from the gang. _Drrr… Drrr…. Drrr..._

But he didn't pick up.

She could hear their footsteps now, their braying, their catcalls.

Shaking, she dialed him again.

But he didn't pick up.

She could see them now, outlined black against the streetlight at the end of the alleyway.

Whimpering, she dialed him again.

But he didn't pick up.

They saw her now, and they knew she was cornered, They were coming for her.

Sobbing, she dialed him again.

But he didn't pick up.

They were standing around her, leering down at her while she huddled in the corner and wept.

Screaming, she dialed him again.

They were ripping the phone from her hand. They were grabbing her, pulling her up, _touching_ her. Through tear-filled eyes, through her screaming and crying, she could see the screen of her phone, a tiny splotch of white in the darkness of the alley.

And she knew he hadn't picked up.

* * *

 **Now you see what I meant when I said last chapter that by the end of this one you would be wanting to "unman" Sess? Well... now that you have read this chapter,**

 **please review! :3**


	4. Chapter 4

CH 4

"Noooo!" the girl shrieked. She tried to run, but it was too late.

The serial killer pushed her against the wall and stabbed his knife through her stomach. She collapsed limply over his forearm, eyes sliding closed as dark blood flowed down the knife hilt and the killer's arm. Grinning maniacally, the killer leaned forward and captured her lips with his own. He laughed when she coughed up blood right into his mouth and swallowed the hot life-liquid. He pulled back after a minute, licking his lips.

"Okay, now that's just gross," said Inuyasha. He rolled his eyes at his television. He knew he shouldn't have picked this movie. It was so old, and the cover was cracked and peeling. The acting was awful, the characters were cliche, and actors themselves weren't even good looking. The only thing the movie had going for it was the fact that it had cost ten yen at the yard sale. Inuyasha wanted a refund.

Yawning, he shut off the television and just sat there on the couch for a couple minutes, munching on his popcorn. If only Kikyo was sitting next to him. Then they could make fun of the movie together. He could try out lame pickup lines on her, she would throw back her head and laugh, and he would watch, fascinated by her slim white throat. But no, his gorgeous girlfriend had to go to Paris for some modeling gig. He would have gone, if only to beat up anyone with a dick who looked at her twice, but his boss had been adamant; no more days off. To be fair, though, Inuyasha had already used up all his personal days for this month. Besides, where would he get the money? Kikyo was paid for by her modeling agency, duh, but Inuyasha was middle class. He couldn't just randomly go traipsing off overseas whenever he wanted. And hell if he was going to go begging to his asshole half brother, who also happened to be rolling around in money, that corporate icicle.

Bored, Inuyasha turned on the television again, but switched the input to channel, not wanting to waste any more of his time with that two-hour-long recording of shit that they called a movie. He started flipping through the channels, looking for a good movie. His eyes lit up when he landed on a famous old horror movie, one of his retro favorites. Aw yeah! He resettled the huge, repeat huge, bowl of popcorn on his lap, and glued his eyes to the screen.

 _"Did you hear that?"_

 _"...Hear what?"_

 _"Listen."_

...scrrrch….rrrrtsch…

 _"Oh my god, what's that noise?"_

 _"Maybe it's a stray dog scratching at the door."_

 _"Why the hell would it do that? Strays don't go around door-to-door begging for handouts. That's those stupid fundraising people."_

 _"Hahahaha…"_

...scrrrch...rrrtsch…

 _"There it is again."_

 _"Miri, go check it out."_

 _"What? Why me?"_

 _"Cuz all the rest of us have our asses planted to the floor."_

 _"So do I. Go get the door yourself, Lani."_

 _"Your ass is smaller, and therefore lighter than the rest of ours. Easier to move."_

 _"Forget it."_

 _"..."_

...scrrrch...rrtsch...

 _"Oh my god, just someone go get that goddamned door! Kick the mutt if you have to! I keep messing up on my nails because of it!"_

 _"You know what? You all are pathetic. I'm the biggest person here-"_

 _"The hell you are. I happen to know that you're only five and a half. That's barely even average, dude."_

 _Laughs._

 _"...Whatever."_

Inuyasha grinned, revealing fangs caked with kernels. He couldn't wait for the 'stray' to be revealed. He reached into his bowl of popcorn and frowned when his claws came up empty. Seriously? And he was just getting into the good part. Rrgh. He was about to toss the bowl away in disgust, when, in real life…

 _...scrrch...rrrtsch…_

His eyes just about popped out of his head. He quickly clicked the power button on the remote. The screen went black, but the horror persisted.

 _...scrrch...rrrtsch…_

"Fuck!" That noise wasn't from the movie! His dog ears pricked up and strained to hear noise while the rest of his body remained stiff and motionless. But he heard nothing, and he was just relaxing when…

 _...scrrch...rrrtsch…_

Inuyasha gulped. He took a deep sniff, but he couldn't smell anything through the haze of junk food smell that clouded his apartment. Popcorn, pizza, ramen, and chicken wings, he could smell, but he couldn't catch a trace of the scent of anyone or anything that might be beyond his door. He stared at his trembling hands, then realized what a wuss he was being. "Hell no!" He was descended from the finest bred inu youkai line in the world. He wasn't gonna cower to nobody (here Inuyasha conveniently forgot the terror of his full-demon half-brother in major pissant mode). He leapt to his feet and stomped to his door with loud steps, letting whoever it was know that he was pissed. He unlatched and unlocked the door and whipped it open.

"What the hell do ya wan-" He broke off when he saw that there was no one there. Then his eyes moved down. "Aw, shit!" Another drunkard. Great. Just great.

There was a dark form slumped on the ground. Inuyasha breathed in, expecting the stench of alcohol, but instead a familiar sweet scent met his sensitive nose. ...Da fuck?

"Kagome?" A bewildered inu hanyou squatted down, his voice marked clearly in concern. "What the hell are you doing here, wench?" He took another breath, and his heart skipped a beat.

Blood.

Lots of it.

-oOo-

Inuyasha gently lowered the unconscious Kagome onto the worn leather couch. His hands were steady, his movements purposeful and fluid, but his eyes burned with anger. How the hell had she gotten into this state? No, he knew the answer; his nose told him as much. It was enough to make him want to tear down the city looking for the bastards who had done this. But where the hell was Sesshomaru? He should have been there for her. Growling, he called Sesshomaru on his phone, ready to give him a piece of his mind, but the bastard didn't pick up. He called again, but after half a minute of ring tones, it went to voicemail. What could the fucker be doing? (Inuyasha didn't know that the question was who, not what.) Without bothering to leave a message, he ended the call.

Shaking his head, he heated up some water and poured it into a pan. He set it down on the ottoman and stacked some towels right next to it. He soaked one in the hot water and wiped the blood off Kagome's arm gently, trying not to make her various scratches worse. He dried the now pink water off with a clean towel, and repeated the process for the other arm.

Suddenly, just as he was wiping her fingers free of crusty brown blood, snarling softly at the bruises that marched up and down her pale forearms, she jerked in his hold. Thinking she was awake, he quickly pasted on a confident, reassuring smile (or at least what he thought was one). But it slipped off his face like butter off hot metal when she started to scream.

"N-no! Stop!" She was awake, but not awake. He could see that now. Unseeing eyes wide, she thrashed and twisted like a fish, and Inuyasha backed up a little, inadvertently knocking over the pan of hot water.

"Shit!" Ignoring his soaking wet behind, he grabbed her wrists to try and hold her still. She couldn't be moving around like this, not with her wounds. But restraining her only made her more frantic, and it occurred to him with horror that this was what the bastards must have done to her. He let go of her like she was a hot potato and watched her writhe on his couch in horrified silence. He didn't know what to do. "Kagome, calm down!"

She was staring up at the ceiling with blank, marble-like eyes as she struggled against an invisible foe. "Don't! Let me go! Stop that!" She started to shake uncontrollably. "STOP IT!" she wailed, tears cascading from her eyes.

"Kagome, I'm not going to hurt you!" He grabbed her shoulders and shook her hard, then cried out in surprise as she lunged forward and bit his arm. "Ah!" He let go and retreated a couple paces, rubbing the bite. "Kagome…" His eyes flashed, and he turned on his heel and hurried to the kitchen.

When he returned, she had stopped thrashing around, and was now huddled up against a corner of the couch, hugging herself as if she could make herself disappear if she made herself small enough. He looked at her blank eyes and knew she was still in that horrible trance.

Firmly, before he could change his mind, Inuyasha tossed the bowl of lukewarm water in her face.

She was silent for several seconds as water dripped down her face. Then she shrieked and leapt for his throat like a wildcat, knocking him flat on his back. She leaned over him, panting, eyes still terribly blank. And then her eyes cleared.

"I-Inuyasha?"

He was so relieved he almost pissed his pants. "Kagome!" He grabbed her cold hand in his and looked deep into her clear blue irises. "Kagome! It's alright. You're safe now. I got you."

She was trembling as she slowly climbed off his chest, moving away to kneel on the floor. "I… I'm safe? No… no more…the...they...?" She broke off miserably.

Inuyasha nodded firmly. "Hell yes you're safe, wench. You're on my watch now." His facade of smug confidence dropped quickly to reveal wholehearted concern when she started to full-on shake. "Oi, wench, what's wrong? Don't go crying on me, you know I hate that."

"I...I was so scared, Inuyasha." Her voice was small, and she curled into herself as if to make herself as tiny as possible.

Inuyasha watched with horror as one of the strongest people he knew collapsed in on herself. His claws dug into his palms, and the resulting pang of pain was accompanied by a rush of deep hatred, burning his lungs and setting fire to every breath he took. He felt, no, he was hatred for the disgusting bastards he could smell all over her, hatred for Sesshomaru who should have been there to protect her… hatred for himself, for sitting there watching a movie when at that very moment his friend was being brutalized. His hands curled into fists, and he slammed them on the floor, wishing he could do something, anything to relieve this terrible anger. His breath came in harsh pants, his blood felt like it was boiling, and Inuyasha knew he was in danger of losing himself to his demon blood, but he didn't care. Let him go berserk! Let him become a monster, so he could exact terrible revenge on the scum who had the filthy audacity to land a hand on his Kagome, his pack, his friend!

A faint whimper captured his attention, and Inuyasha looked up with scarlet eyes to see Kagome staring at him with fright. He instantly uncurled his fists and grabbed her hands, stopping her from pulling away. "Don't be scared," he said, and he was surprised at how rough and deep his own voice was. He really was close to losing himself. He wouldn't be surprised if his eyes were crimson, like the blood he longed to spill. "Don't be scared," he repeated. "Kagome… I will never hurt you. You know that." She simply stared wide-eyed at him, and he bared his elongated fangs as his demon blood roared at his pack's reluctance to voice her faith in him. " _I will protect you!"_ The apartment rang with the vehemence of his declaration.

After a stunned silence, she nodded, her eyes shining with tears. "I know, Inuyasha," she said quietly. "I know you would never hurt me…" Her lips twisted bitterly. Lifting her chin, his Kagome looked into his feral, crimson eyes, and Inuyasha felt deep satisfaction as she said, "So protect me." Leaning forward, she nuzzled the side of his face, rubbing her nose against the jagged markings that only appeared when his demonic blood rose.

With an affectionate growl, Inuyasha licked her cheek. Slowly, his human blood returned to balance out his youkai side, and he drew back, much calmer than before. He smirked at Kagome, his amber eyes glowing like jewels in the dim light. "Just like in high school."

She smiled wearily, then winced as if that tiny movement hurt her black-and-blue face. "Yeah…" She coughed, and her entire frame shook. "Can I... have some water?" Her voice was hoarse, but worse, her breath reeked of semen. Hot anger flushed his cheeks at this realization, his youkai blood threatening to overwhelm the human of him again, and he didn't hear her request. She had to repeat it.

"Yeah! Why didn't you say so sooner?" Inuyasha almost ran to the kitchen to get her a drink. When he presented the (almost) clean glass of water to her, she tried to sit up. "Aw hell no, wench!" He slid an arm under her back and gently helped her up to a sitting position. "Take it easy." He tipped the glass carefully to her lips and watched as she swallowed. "Listen, we have to get you to the hospital. And what the hell does Sesshomaru think he's doing?"

Pain. So much pain in her eyes.

Inuyasha immediately felt like shit. "Okay," he said, changing the subject abruptly. He picked up the phone again. "Let's get you some treatment. I can't do it here myself."

"N-no!" She tried to wrestle the phone from his hand, but failed miserably. "Don't!"

"Why ever not, wench?"

"Th-they'll want to call Se-him. I-I can't see him."

Inuyasha stared at her for a long moment. "Alright," he said suddenly, startling her. "Kagome, tell me right now what's been going on. Everything. Including why after you got married, you started avoiding me." He didn't even try to hide the hurt that resurfaced when he remembered how his best friend had practically shunned him.

"I-I...no."

He shook his head. "No? ...Why? Why can't you tell me, Kagome?"

She gazed at him miserably. "I can't… talk about it. I'm s-sorry, Inuyasha. Not now."

He looked away. "Fine," he said gruffly. "But don't think I won't ask again." Clearing his throat, he turned on his phone again. "I'm calling 119."

Alarm crossed her face. "Please d-don't."

"You have to go to a hospital!" he exploded. She shrank back. Lowering his tone guiltily, he continued, "Your condition is way too serious to just take care of here. Besides, you could end up pregnant. You don't want that, do you?"

Horror flashed in her eyes. "N-never!" she exclaimed, then paid for her bout of energy with a round of coughing.

"Exactly," Inuyasha said, rubbing her back soothingly. "Calm down, Kagome. I have friends over there. They won't call Sesshomaru if you don't want them too." He wanted to know what had happened between his brother and friend, he wanted to know now, but he would not push her when she was so fragile.

"Al-alright."

Happy he had won this argument, he proceeded to call 119 and told them the situation. After being assured they would be there promptly, he hung up. "They'll be here in ten minutes, Kagome." His nose twitched at a sudden salty scent. "Kagome?" A helpless look entered his eyes. "Kagome… don't cry."

Tears were flowing steadily down Kagome's cheeks. "I-I can't help it," she sniffled. "I'm just so g-glad you're here, Inuyasha…" Her voice cracked. "I just d-don't know what to do… anymore…" Her halting words transformed into sobs; deep, heart-wrenching cries that forced themselves out of her body. She slid off the couch and huddled up against it, crying harder than she had ever done in her entire life.

Inuyasha struggled to swallow past the lump in his throat. He had never known how to handle tears back when he was in school, and he still hadn't learned after graduating into college. "Kagome…" Falling to his knees in front of her, he pulled her into a hug. She buried her face into his shoulder, her tears soaking his t-shirt. Slowly, with trembling hands, he stroked her hair. Agony was rolling off her in waves, and Inuyasha was drowning in his own sea of guilt. She was hurting so much… His high school sweetheart. His beautiful, kind Kagome was in so much pain… and he, Inuyasha, who had sworn to protect her, couldn't do a damn thing about it.

Before he realized it, his eyes were sliding closed, and a single tear made its lonely way down his cheek; a mere tiny outward clue of the violent turmoil inside of him.


	5. Chapter 5

**My username changed, guys! Don't worry, it's still me. :)**

 **And at loooong last, tLWH is back in action!**

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CH 5

The moment it was over, Sango wanted to take it back.

Of course, it had been amazing. God, it had been mind-blowing. It had been all she had hoped for and daydreamed about… and _more_. But as she pulled on her clothes, she frankly felt like shit. After years of jealous yearning, now that she'd finally gotten her wish, she was counter-wishing that it had never happened in the first place.

 _Figures._ Life just couldn't stop itself from screwing her over.

She pulled on her shirt on her way to the door and took a moment to redo her ponytail so it bounced sleekly down her back. As her hand brushed against the shiny golden doorknob, she hesitated, fighting the urge to look back at Sesshomaru. Behind her she could hear swift taps and thuds as he put his desk back in order. What should she say? ...Should she say _anything?_ What could she even say?

 _Thank you._ No way. She wasn't some kind of beggar.

 _Good-bye._ Hmm. Maybe. But he probably wouldn't answer. It did have a good dramatic sound, though.

 _I'm sorry._ No. As much as she regretted this, she couldn't show him that. Sesshomaru hated weakness.

 _Let's not tell Kagome._ Duh.

She decided on _good-bye_ , but even as her mouth formed the words, she couldn't speak, couldn't make the sound jump from her throat. She struggled for a moment, then gave up. Shaking her head, Sango stepped out of the soundproof study without a word and closed the door softly behind her. Almost instantly, she heard an unmistakable _click_ as it was locked. She spun around, her hair lashing out behind her like a whip. Staring at the formidable expanse of dark wood, she felt with an aching heart that she had never felt so abandoned in her life. She had betrayed her best friend, and now her partner in crime had locked the door between them, both literally and figuratively. She was alone.

And all of a sudden, upon her slender shoulders came crashing down the tremendous weight of what she had done.

 _Oh, Kagome… How could I have done this? What kind of best friend am I, to have betrayed you so very thoroughly?_

She had had sex with her best friend's husband. She chuckled bitterly. That sounded like something right out of a television show. Reaching up with shaking hands to cover her face, Sango leaned wearily against the study door, wishing she could turn back time. She managed to block out the world for one blessed moment before the tranquility was broken most unwelcomely.

"Pathetic," mocked an adolescent female voice.

Sango's eyes flew open, and she quickly leapt to attention, assuming a pose of confidence that she didn't feel. Her cheeks flushed with the embarrassment of being caught in a moment of weakness. "What do you want, bitch?"

"Aww. You don't look too happy. Did he not want your sorry, flat little ass?" sneered Rin, who had been camping out in the hallway with Essie and OPI for company. She had no idea what had happened in the study, because its walls were reinforced to lock in sound, but she could happily guess. Situations like this were standard fodder for her gang's gossip, after all. Standing up, Rin caressed her small, pointed chin with the tips of her fingers, showing off her nails, painted in gorgeous shades of amber and gold.

Recovering her composure so quickly it was doubtful she had even been caught off guard at all, Sango leered down at the spoiled teenager, her mind whirring to find the most hurtful things to say. "Sorry, but not everyone has a one-track mind like you… _slut._ So you can just forget about Kohaku. No brother of mine will ever look twice at a _whore._ " Her cheeks reddened further as she was struck by the irony of her words. Stalking past a pair of wide brown eyes with a faltering smirk, she made her way to the front door. At least she had roasted that little bitch well.

But with every step, her glee over finally having the last word over Rin-bitch Takahashi diminished, to be replaced with the stabbing regret of her actions, until she reached the doormat with slow step and teary eye. She looked back, now without a trace of a smirk on her face, half expecting, half hoping to see Sesshomaru gazing down at her from the landing. She wanted, no, _needed_ him to be there; she needed him to tell her that it was alright, no one would ever know, that it was okay what they did, it happened all the time. But only blank wall and an ornamental vase met her eyes, and with a stifled sob, Sango walked slowly to her car, salty pearls slipping unbidden from her downcast eyes. She could just feel the scornful gaze of her father scorching the back of her neck.

 _Weak. Pathetic. Worthless. Shameful. Unworthy of the family name-_

 _Stop!_

She slammed the radio on and blasted the music loudly to block her father out. She drove home just like that, 'nothing but the hits' pounding through the car's interior.

Her father didn't speak again.

.

.

.

Sesshomaru sat down at his desk after locking himself in his study. Absentmindedly, he unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt for his comfort, which he had refastened much too tightly. Hands dropping to rest flat against the desktop, for several long minutes, he stared with unseeing eyes at the various papers that littered the dark wood, begging for his signature.

Whatever had possessed him to indulge himself with that woman?

He knew better than this. Even with his resolve of years ago, this was off-limits. To take a woman who was not Kagome had never been part of his plan.

Never.

Which brought him back to the question; why had he-renowned throughout the world for his control over his body, emotions, and exceptionally vicious soul-youkai- committed such an atrociously unfaithful act?

Inside him, said exceptionally vicious soul-youkai raged, as It had since the moment his wife ran out the door _._ For the ongoing length of his plan, several years now, It had always been restless, trying to wrest control, but now It snarled and snapped as if struck insane. Its furious barks and howls were so feral as to be unintelligible, even to Its other half. But the meaning was clear.

 **How dare you! Unfaithful, cowardly bastard!**

It thrashed against Its chains and managed to break free for an instant; in instant during which It manifested in Sesshomaru's eyes, turning the sclera crimson.

His eyes narrowed to scarlet slits, and with a spasmodic jerk, green acid hissed forth from his fingertips, eating away the obnoxious papers, but leaving his desk intact, as he had personally treated it to make it impervious to his toxins; a wise choice, obviously. With some effort, he brought his primal self under control. He would not tolerate any disobedience, especially not from his own soul-youkai.

His eyes slowly returned to normal, and with the beast thrown into the deepest chasms of his mind, Sesshomaru began to sort through his thoughts, slowly tracing himself back to when he had accepted the woman's promiscuous offer, trying to figure out exactly what had happened.

Granted, the woman was not unattractive, in a human sort of way, but truthfully, if he had been acting on lust, there were so many others he could have had that were better.

 _So why?_

Sesshomaru's brow furrowed as something occurred to him. Was it… could it possibly because...? Unconsciously, had he been... ?

His face relaxed into its normal apathy, and he nodded slowly. Perhaps it was better this way. He had been planning to take a slower path, but perhaps this wild lunge over the line would free him from the disastrous decision he had so naively made in marrying Kagome Higurashi.

.

.

.

Rin got ready for bed silently, her face unusually somber in the golden lamplight. Pulling the green sash around her waist tighter than usual, she flicked off the pink butterfly stained-glass lamp on her white bedside table with a pumpkin-polished index finger.

 _Is that what I am?_ she wondered as she climbed into bed, pulling the sheer canopy curtain around to wall herself in. _A slut? ...A whore?_ She snuggled into the plush mattress, eyes staring wide into the darkness.

She remembered herself five years ago, filthy and bedraggled and unwanted, a tiny dreg of society. The daughter of a whore, cast into an orphanage where she had been abused to the point of losing her voice. She had run away countless times, but they always found her. They always took her back to that same place, that same overcrowded hell with the same sneering matrons and same rough boys and same cruel girls. She was always beaten and starved for running away. The children threw sticks and stones at her and hid bugs on her meal tray. She'd been an outcast, even among the other unwanteds. Four years she spent inside that awful orphanage, four years of agony and abandonment. She had been prepared to commit suicide, and even had it all planned out. She would smash the small mirror in the second floor bathroom with a wooden toy and slash either her throat or her wrists with one of the razor-sharp pieces of glass. She would bleed out on the bathroom floor, and be staring up at the cracked ceiling with blank, glassy eyes when her horrified orphanage-mates discovered her corpse.

She blinked, remembering the desperation and despair that had controlled her, then suddenly laughed. What was the use in reminiscing about her old life? This was her world now: shiny black limousines, fabulously expensive clothes, a gorgeous house and property, wild parties, beautiful friends (less so than herself, of course), and crowds of adoring boys, not to mention bottomless credit cards… She had always been meant for this, she was sure of it. What did it matter that her mothers were a prostitute and a gold-digger? It sure didn't make her all those awful things that stupid bitch had called her.

"Yeah," Rin said happily out loud, turning onto her side. "That loser-ita is an old cat who's just jealous because I'm better than her in every way." She ran a hand down her side, enjoying the feeling of her own curves. "My hair, my face, my body… I'm richer than she is, plus I'm the most popular girl at my school. I'm an alpha. She's just a sorry little beta. Haters gonna hate, hate, hate…" Humming cheerfully the tune of Taylor Swift's "Shake it Off," she drifted off to sleep, once again secure in her self-appointed position as the indomitable princess.

.

.

-oOo-

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 _It is morning. The girl enters the kitchen, immersed in her phone. She's tapping away at the screen, texting her friends, as she sits down at the table. She waits for her mother to say something annoying about breakfast, but no one says anything. She looks up, scathing remark on her glossy lips, and realizes her mother isn't there. She frowns, then smirks, and grabs a nutrition bar from the cabinet. She is turning to leave when her father walks in. For an instant, it is as if time is frozen, and his lithe body is motionless as his eyes scan the kitchen. Then he is moving again, his emotions unfathomable behind a blank mask. Without comment, he starts making coffee, an unfamiliar task to him because it is one his wife usually performs. Still, his slender hands are firm as he brews himself a cup of steaming, fragrant dark liquid._

 _The girl intentionally wonders out loud where her mother could be; she remembers the huge fight yesterday with a smile on her face. She says that her mother is probably out on the streets with a killer hangover and most probably a baby on the way to boot. That unappetizing comment left to stagnate in the air, she saunters out of the house and hops in the limo with the air of a contented cat._

 _The father, alone in the house, sits down at the kitchen table and thinks maybe his bitter coffee could do with a little more sugar._

* * *

 **PLEASE READ:** **Originally I planned Sango to be a loyal bestie, but one review remarking that she didn't seem quite sincere in wanting Kagome to get a divorce made me look back and I was like, _you're right! Eureka!_ I actually rewrote the entire Ch 3 so the betrayal could happen! Now you know how much a single review can affect the story. **

**Also, I know there isn't much action going on right now, but not all chapters can be as... should I say dramatic? Next chapter will give us a peek in on Kagome and Inuyasha!**

 **And yes, I will try to update sooner than I have been. :)**

 **Cheers!**

 **Philosophy Blue**


	6. Chapter 6

**I've been gone a while... Sorry guys! But this time, I think the wait's been worth it! Welcome to my longest ever chapter of 5,161 words!**

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CH 6

"Your turn," said Souta, examining his hand.

Kagome plucked a card out of the deck and added it to the five already in her hand. Darn, she didn't have a match. She chose a card to put into the discard pile. "Go," she said.

It was a lazy Saturday afternoon, and Kagome and Souta were sprawled on the floor in her room, playing cards. The sun filtered in steadily through her pink curtains, and the carpet was plush and soft against her bare elbows. Music played softly in the background, infiltrating her room from the living room downstairs, where her mother was listening to classical music.

"Oh wow, jackpot!" cheered Souta, throwing down his hand to show a neat array of matching cards. "I win!"

"Just fly to the moon, why don't you?" Kagome replied good-naturedly, scooping all the cards into her hands and shuffling for another round.

"Kagome, you have a guest!"

 _That's weird. I wasn't expecting anyone today._ Nevertheless, she got up and called, "Coming, Mom!" before giving Souta the shuffled cards and warning him not to look at them until she came back. As she trotted down the stairs, Kagome tried to figure out who it could be. _It can't be Hojo, can it? I mean, I already told him I couldn't go to the movies today._

She walked downstairs to greet her guest, prepared to issue another polite letdown to her handsome, but clueless classmate. But her smiling mother stepped back to reveal Inuyasha Hasu, a sophomore that she knew of but had never met.

"Hi," she said awkwardly, not having a clue why he was here. Then her eyes landed on the dark blue bundle in his hand. "Hey, is that my-"

"Take it," interrupted Inuyasha, shoving it abruptly in her chest. He turned, obviously eager to leave, but Kagome's mother barred the way.

"Oh no, please don't tell us you're leaving without tea and a little snack," exclaimed the middle-aged woman. "Do stay, just for a little while. Those shrine stairs are really quite steep. I know _we're_ always tired after climbing them."

"I'm half demon," grunted Inuyasha, shoving right past her. Kagome's mother was knocked against the wall, where she stumbled and clutched at a framed picture for balance. Seeing this, Kagome felt the hot rush of anger in her stomach and raced after the hanyou, who was already halfway to the stairs.

"You stop right there!" she yelled, sprinting after him.

With a grimace, he spun around. "Leave me alone!"

"I can sue you for assaulting my mother!" she snapped, stabbing the umbrella point at his chest, which he dodged easily by stepping back.

"That's what you want, isn't it? Money!"

"Eh?" Taken aback, Kagome paused her rant. "Money? What are you talking about?"

"The reason you gave the asshole your umbrella is because you knew he rolls around in money and wanted some for yourself, huh?" Eyes narrowed triumphantly, Inuyasha jutted out his chin in an aggressive manner.

Kagome was bewildered. "What? That guy I gave this umbrella to? I let him have it because he was standing alone in the rain and his suit looked pretty expensive-"

"So it _was_ the money!" crowed Inuyasha. "Well, too bad so sad, you little gold-digger, because he's not falling for it. And I _dare_ you to sue me, see what happens!"

Her eye twitched. He was starting to really piss her off. Mouth hardened in a straight line, she stepped forward and grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling them together nose to nose. Before he could throw himself back, she whispered harshly, "Listen here, asshole. Maybe in your cramped little mind, you think everyone thinks like you, but I gave your father my umbrella out of the _goodness_ of my _heart_. I couldn't watch someone get soaked in the rain and not lift a finger to help, unlike _someone_ obviously. I certainly wasn't giving it to him in hopes that I would receive monetary compensation. Again; maybe that's how _you_ think, and that's why you're thinking that's why I did it. But I would never do that. So screw _off_ , before I sic Buyo on you."

The stunned expression on Inuyasha's face faded to derision, and he wrenched his shirt out of Kagome's fist. "Buyo? 'Gnat'? What kind of name is that for scaring the piss out of someone? Besides, I don't smell no dog. All the animal I can smell around here is a fat old cat and a cow in _heat._ "

Kagome was confused for a split second before she got it. " _You…"_ Face darkening with anger and embarrassment, she clenched her fists and stepped back with her left foot. Before Inuyasha knew it, he was lying flat on his back, the imprint of the bottom of Kagome's shoe sitting squarely on his face.

 _What a jerk!_ fumed Kagome as she stalked back into her house, slamming the door behind her. _Like father, like son, huh!_

Back outside, something had just occurred to Inuyasha. "Wait a minute," he muttered groggily, unable to find the energy to struggle to his feet. "Did she just call the asshole my…"

Kagome, returning to her room to resume her card game with Souta, heard loud retching noises from outside.

 _Ugh, what's gotten into him now?_

 _._

 _._

 _._

Nine years later, together again in very different circumstances, Inuyasha plunked down a bowl of soup in front of her. "Eat," he demanded, shoving a loaded spoon in her face.

With a wrinkled nose, Kagome turned her face away without a word.

Perplexed, Inuyasha waggled the spoon under her nose. "Kagome, ya gotta eat. Or else you won't get better."

"It's _canned_."

"So?"

"Canned food is despicable," Kagome recited demurely. "Saturated with preservatives and chemicals, plus material from the can itself that flake off and soak into the food, it is a human-conceived abomination that is not even fit for pigs, lest their meat be contaminated."

Inuyasha stared at her for a long time, making her shift uncomfortably.

"Spit it out," she said dully.

"You're just like him," said Inuyasha, staring intently into her eyes. "You just quoted him word for word. I would know."

Kagome recoiled. "Don't say that again. Don't say that ever again." For the first time in a week, her voice was strong.

Inuyasha shrugged. "It's true." But he looked away. "Just eat your soup."

"But I don't want to. It's bad for you. My mother used to say that too. Not just… him."

Inuyasha snorted. "It doesn't reek any more of chemicals than any other food."

"That's because all you eat is ramen and junk food," retorted Kagome, a rare spark in her eyes. "Also, you're part demon. It probably doesn't affect you as badly as it would me, so your body isn't sending out any distress signals."

"Well, it's the best you got here," he snapped, secretly elated he had managed to coax Kagome out of her trance. Ever since she had been released from the hospital a few days ago, all she had done was sit around and make him feel awkward with her silences. "If you can get up and stroll down to the nearest five-star restaurant, be my guest."

She blinked at him, then looked away, not saying anything. The fire in her eyes sputtered out, leaving a glazed shell behind. Almost as if she had spoken over her word quota for the day.

Inuyasha wanted to rip his hair out with frustration. The old Kagome would have defiantly sprung to her feet and sauntered to said restaurant, just to spite him. Would have made him pay, too. He didn't like this. No sir he didn't, not at all.

He glanced at the bowl in his hand. He had to admit, the chicken noodle soup didn't look very appetizing. A layer of grease floated on the top, glistening in the mid-afternoon light. But what was he supposed to do? This was Japan; it wasn't like he could make the soup himself. He had to get the imported stuff that came in cans. The cheap Japanese imitations that tasted like crap weren't much of an option.

"Screw this," he said out loud. Walking to the kitchen, he dumped the soup down the sink. "I'm going to the grocery store. Buy something green for you. Is there anything you particularly want? Chips, candy, chocolate, ice cream?" She had always loved chocolate.

She acted like she didn't hear him. Maybe she didn't.

Exasperated, Inuyasha turned away, car keys swinging from a finger. "Won't be gone long." But as he stepped out of the apartment, an icy cold hand snapped around his wrist, making him jump.

"Kagome?"

She was standing there, trailing blanket clutched in her other hand, looking down at her toes.

"Kagome, if you want any decent food, you're going to have to let me go." Inuyasha tried to make it into a joke. His forced smirk vanished when the stench of her fear struck him head-on. "Oi, what's wrong? I'm only going grocery shopping. I'll be back in half an hour, tops. You can handle being here that long. You're a big girl, right?"

She shook her head jerkily. "No, I can't… Not alone. Don't… leave me."

"Then come with me. It won't take long to dress."

She shook her head frantically. "No. Stay with me!"

"Kagome, you're acting stupid," snapped Inuyasha. "Either come with me or stay." He was close enough to see her pupils dilate with fear.

"I… They're coming. They'll find me. They promised!" Her chest heaved as she forced out the words.

Instantly, Inuyasha understood.

He pulled Kagome into a rough hug. "Don't be silly. Those bastards will never touch you again."

"How do you know?" cried Kagome. "Easy enough for you to say." She was panting from the force of her terror. "You just don't get it!"

"I _do_ get it!" shouted Inuyasha. "I'm seven hundred years old, Kagome. I may not be now, but I used to be helpless too. Sesshomaru didn't give a shit about me then, either. It was just me, a filthy hanyou, alone in the forest. The humans hated me, but all they did is drive me out. The big bad demons? To them I was their favorite toy to kick around and beat up on whenever they had nothing better to do. Every goddamn day, I lived in the fear that those demons would find me and torture me. At least twice a week they found me though, no matter how well I hid, and I wouldn't be able to walk for hours afterward. I was prey. Until I started fighting back. I sharpened my claws and my wits, and I trained myself to fight through any and all pain until my enemies were all dead. I started targeting humans who tried to pass through my territory, too. Soon enough, _I_ was the big bad monster; I was such a good monster, in fact, that the fearful humans named that forest after me. 'Inuyasha's Forest,' they said. 'A wicked demon lives there. He'll kill you as soon as look at you.'

"The point though, is that I felt just like you. Always hunted, always fearful, always looking over my shoulder. But I became the hunter, Kagome. I became the top of the game. And that's what you need to do. Hit him hard, as hard as you can. You'll feel better. Those slimeballs? Hunt them down. As part of a demon pack, you are allowed to take violent revenge on an offender. I'll help you. You can do it. You can rise above them all."

The tears fell steadily at the unexpected confession. It was the first time Inuyasha had told her about his past. She had known it was bad, but it was just cruelty! How could Sesshomaru justify his actions? He could have taken in his half-brother, ensured his health and safety, trained him with all his extensive knowledge. Just… why?

How could anyone be so _cruel?_

"I'll do it," cried Kagome impulsively, squeezing Inuyasha in a fierce hug. "For me, for you. For us. I'll do it!"

Inuyasha basked in her warm embrace for a moment, then pushed her away jokingly. "What's with all the clingy, wench? I still have to get dinner." He paused, cautious of the response he might receive. His fears were for nothing.

"Let me get dressed! I'm such a mess!"

.

.

.

"Welcome to Tokyo. Please feel free to visit the stores in the airport, and enjoy your stay!"

As the tall woman strolled confidently through the airport, heads turned to openly admire the dark beauty. Some, recognizing her, glanced fervently between their fashion magazines and the woman, their jaws dropping.

Kikyo Kuroyame glanced down at her slim watch. "He was supposed to be here," she said under her breath. "That ass. Probably forgot." She pulled out her phone and tapped leisurely on the screen. A twitch of her thumb short of the call icon, she changed her mind. "I'll just drop by and pay him a surprise visit. I want to see the look on his face. Oh boy, if I catch him sleeping…" Smirking, Kikyo twirled a key ring around her slender pointer finger, and glided out of the airport, calmly hailing an awed taxi.

.

.

"Are you still in college?" asked Kagome, twisting a piece of Inuyasha's hair around her finger.

"Nah," said Inuyasha casually, flipping the channel. "I work part time and work _out_ the rest."

"What are you going to make your career?"

Inuyasha grinned. "What do you think I'm working out for? I want to be on the ISLES."

"Ooh, cool," said Kagome, interested. "When are you applying?"

"Soon as I feel like I'm ready. I mean, they're not going anywhere. And I want to crack it, first shot."

"It'll be dangerous," said Kagome wistfully.

"That's what's so great about it!" cheered Inuyasha. "It's almost like the old days, back before all those stuffy laws."

The Interspecies Law Enforcement Squad was an elite group of fighters trained exclusively to take down the dangers to interspecies society-mainly rogue demons. Positions were highly envied by the older demons who wished for the old days when they could fight with their full powers on display and kill their enemies without discretion. Out of every force in the world, ISLES was only one of two internationally approved to kill in any situation. In fact, they were encouraged to kill.

This was an international organization, and so each country didn't have its own group. Rather, its members were assigned to divisions in specific regions. There was also no limit on members; if you qualified, you were in. But it wasn't as easy as that. The exams were exhausting, spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically. The training and regimen, if one qualified, were 'enough to make you wish you were in hell. More than enough,' to quote a representative from the Squad. Yet members enjoyed immense prestige and the coveted ability to kill at will without any repercussions. Not to mention they were incredibly desirable life partners. Many wanted the fame and prestige associated with ISLES members- not realizing the lonely days they faced when their life partner was away for weeks, sometimes months or even years, tracking down the scourge of interspecies peace. Some never returned. It was a dangerous job, but that was exactly why it was so coveted.

Kagome hadn't known that Inuyasha wanted to be on the ISLES. Back in high school, he had wanted to start a company and make it a huge rival of Sesshomaru's own massive one. However, it seemed his taste for it had been turned off.

"You know, you might be assigned to another region."

"Nah. I'll make it abundantly clear that I want Southeast Asia. No way I'm learning another language. English in high school was enough for me."

"Inuyasha, either way you're going to have to learn _several_ other languages. If you're stationed here you'll have to know fluent Korean, Chinese, and _more."_

"Already learned Chinese a century or so back. As for Korean, how hard can it be?"

"Inuyasha, Korean has sounds that you couldn't make to save your life."

Inuyasha scowled. "Then what the hell am I supposed to do?"

"Get assigned to a division in North America. All you'll have to know is English, which you already know."

"Japan is my home." Inuyasha looked away. "Besides, I have my pack."

"Then stay," sighed Kagome. "Whatever you like, Inuyasha." She smiled to show she meant no sting in her words. Quickly, that smile turned mischievous. "But I expect all your kids to call me Aunt Kagome!"

.

.

"Thanks." Handing the driver a bill, Kikyo stepped out of the taxi and stood back to examine Inuyasha's apartment building. Not for the first time she wished he would move to a nicer place. Shaking her head, Kikyo entered the building and made her way to the top floor. Stepping out of the elevator, she walked slowly to the end of the hallway, taking care to be silent.

"And so the cat caught the dog napping, and gave him a nasty scare," she whispered with a seductive smile. "But he enjoyed it in the end." Smirking, she inserted the key into the lock and stepped fluidly through the door as it opened. Her smile faded as she scanned the apartment.

"What's this?"

.

.

Kagome glanced up, startled, as the door to the apartment opened. "What…?" A tall, beautiful woman was staring down at her.

"What's this?"

 _Oh my god. Inuyasha has a girlfriend._

Instantly Kagome leapt to her feet, snatching her head off Inuyasha's lap. "Please, don't jump to conclusions!" she called, almost desperately. It looked bad. It looked really bad. If Inuyasha lost his girlfriend because of her, she would never forgive herself. "It's not what it looks like, it really isn't!"

Inuyasha was on his feet as well. "Kikyo! Dammit, I completely forgot! You should have called me!" His careless words couldn't hide the panic in his eyes.

The woman, who Kagome now recognized as a well-known model, surprised them both by stepping gracefully past them and setting her keys down on a table. She turned to face them, looking first at Kagome.

"Hello, I am Kuroyame Kikyo," she said pleasantly, extending her hand to shake as in Western tradition. "And you are?"

"K-Kagome Higurashi," she stammered, surprised by her cordiality. "It's nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine. Come, come, sit down," sighed Kikyo, motioning to the couch. When Kagome sank down onto the cushions, the model turned to her boyfriend. "Hello, Inuyasha."

"Ki...Kikyo."

"I'll make some coffee," she replied, smiling sweetly.

While she disappeared into the kitchen, Kagome and Inuyasha exchanged confused glances. Both expected to be defending themselves against a furious barrage of jealous explosives any minute.

When Kikyo returned, she presented Kagome first with a mug of steaming, fragrant, hot heaven. Kagome almost waited for her to throw it in her face, but the woman only smiled. Serving Inuyasha next, then herself, Kikyo finally sat back.

"So, Kagome, what brings you to Inuyasha's humble abode?"

Kagome looked nervously at Inuyasha. "Um… Well, things happened, and I decided I had to stay with Inuyasha for a while."

"What happened?"

Inuyasha interrupted. "She got into an argument with her husband."

"Ah." Her eyes cleared. Slowly, she took a sip of coffee. "How long ago was this?"

"About a week."

"Does the husband know she's here."

"...No."

"Tell me, Inuyasha, I'm only going to ask once. Did you cheat on me?"

"No!"

Kikyo nodded, satisfied. "I thought so. I was only making sure."

Inuyasha still looked nervous. "You're not going to freak out?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Is there a reason for me to?"

He shook his head quickly.

She smirked. "Kagome, if you don't mind, I'd like to talk to you alone, outside on the veranda. It'll only take a minute."

Kagome exchanged a startled look with Inuyasha, then nodded. "O-okay."

Inuyasha watched helplessly as the two most important women in his life walked out onto the tiny veranda and shut the glass sliding door behind them. He trusted Kikyo, but he couldn't stop thinking something was going to happen. Weren't girls supposed to explode when they caught their boyfriend with another girl?

.

.

Outside on the veranda, Kagome waited for Kikyo to say something, but the woman simply stood there, sipping her coffee slowly as she stared at the street below. After about five minutes, she couldn't stand it anymore.

"I… have a question. Is it okay if I ask you?"

"Sure."

"Well… I kind of wanted to know how you kept your cool like that. I mean, if I caught my boyfriend or husband with another woman in a position like the one Inuyasha and I were in, I would freak out. I wouldn't listen to anything he said. I would automatically assume the worst and throw him out." Kagome looked down in shame.

Kikyo laughed softly. "The thing is, I trust Inuyasha. All couples may say this, but I truly mean it when I say that Inuyasha would never cheat on me. We love each other, and would take a knife for the other. He's so devoted…" A dreamy expression slid over her face, one that photographers would murder to capture. "I believe that he is my soul mate. We trust each other with our lives. I admit, I was shocked to find a woman with her head in his lap upon my return from a week-long engagement. But one look at his face, and I realized that he hadn't betrayed me, that he would never betray me. I was ashamed of myself for thinking it for a moment."

Kagome stared at her, awed by the beauty of the woman's complete confidence and love in her partner. A deep ache began in her heart. _I wish it could be like that for me… I want someone to share that beautiful trust with._

"The most important thing in a relationship is trust. It doesn't matter if you have amazing chemistry, it doesn't matter if you have known each other since birth. If you can't trust your partner, then you need to end the relationship."

Kagome blinked. _Did… did I ever trust Sesshomaru like that? Did he ever trust me? Did we ever trust each other?_

Kikyo gave her time to think about that, then said softly, "Can I ask about what happened to force you here?"

Kagome bit her lip. The details of her shameful flight were hardly something she wanted to tell one and all, but… somehow, she trusted this woman. It felt like she had known her forever. "My husband and I have been having problems for a while now."

"Sesshomaru Takahashi, am I correct?" At Kagome's startled expression, Kikyo laughed. "I do follow the magazines, Kagome. Please, continue."

"I… I was pregnant, but I lost the baby." Tears came to her eyes at the memory. "It was a son, a beautiful boy. Two months along, I just started bleeding, and it wouldn't stop… We rushed to the hospital… the baby was dead." Tears filled her eyes at the memory. "Sesshomaru's face, I'll never forget it. It was like rock, solid rock. Not a single tear, but he… he was devastated. _We_ were devastated.

"We adopted a child, but things weren't the same. I think that's when it started. I think he realized that I could never be his mate, his Queen. There always were silences between us, but they were companionable silences. Now, they were cold silences. They were deafening in their absolute silence. It only got worse from there. Rin, the girl we adopted, didn't assimilate very well into her school. No one came to her birthday party. She would cry into my arms at night. Suddenly, one day, she was a changed person. She stuck to Sesshomaru like Velcro and completely shunned me. It was like a war in our house, father and daughter against the mother. The only good thing is that after she changed, she became the most popular girl at her school. Girls were begging to be invited to our house." Kagome chuckled bitterly. "She was all grown up. She gradually became actively disrespectful to every authority figure in her life-except Sesshomaru, who could do no wrong in her eyes.

"And then one day, it all just piled up, Sesshomaru's silent disdain, Rin's open hatred. I confronted Sesshomaru with a divorce. It… didn't go well. He basically told me that he owned me, that he wouldn't let me go. I yelled at him… cursed at him… And he hit me. He'd never hit me before. Rin was watching, and laughing and jeering. My system overloaded, I grabbed my keys and ran out the door.

"I drove around a while, then decided to leave everything behind and start anew. I parked my car, ditched almost everything he'd given me, and walked away, feeling so free.

"It was the stupidest thing I've ever done.

"I was alone in an ugly part of town. No police, stoners on the corner. These guys started following me around. I ran, and they gave chase. I didn't know where I was going, and I got caught in a maze of alleys. I ran as fast as I could… but I couldn't shake them off." She started to shiver. "They were getting closer and closer. I fell and dropped my phone. I remembered it then, and tried to call 119, but my phone was broken. By accident, I called Sesshomaru, my speed dial. I was still angry and hurt, but I was scared, so scared. I called him and I called him and I called him again, but he wouldn't answer." Tears were flowing freely down two faces now. "They caught me. They… they did horrible things. Made me scream, made me cry, made me bleed." She choked on a sob. "I thought I was going to die. _I_ _wanted to die._ At some point, I blacked out. I don't know what happened after that. I think they thought I was going to die, and left me. I think I dragged myself here, half conscious. Inuyasha took me in… and that's that." Kagome fell silent. It was the first time she had said so much about that night. Talking about it brought back terrible memories, made them alive in her mind.

It hurt. The memories, they were eating her. Kagome clutched her head. "I… I'm sorry. I can't…"

Kikyo immediately wrapped her arms around Kagome for support. "Of course," she murmured, tears glittering in her eyes. "I'm sorry for pushing you like this. You should get some rest."

Kagome could only nod dumbly as they passed a shocked Inuyasha back inside. She stepped on a stray chopstick,but she barely felt the cheap plastic roll slightly under her foot. The moment she collapsed on the sheets, she was asleep.

.

.

Inuyasha had been listening to the entire conversation, and he was furious. He saw red. He wanted to hunt down those bastards and rip their lives from them, even as they had ripped away Kagome's innocence.

"Inuyasha… Inuyasha." Someone was talking to him. He blinked away the scarlet haze and saw Kikyo looking at him worriedly.

"What?" His voice was rough with his bloodlust.

"I understand your anger, Inuyasha. I feel the same. But please answer my questions. How badly injured was Kagome that night?"

"She was bad," growled Inuyasha. "She was covered in bruises and cuts, and she had lost a lot of blood. She reeked of the bastards' filth. She wasn't even conscious when I opened the door."

Kikyo was frowning. "How did you know someone was out there?"

"Heard scratching noises. Scared the living crap out of me, too."

Kikyo swallowed. "And on her clothes, did you smell a particularly overwhelming amount of liquor or drugs? Like, say, however much would indicate a level of drunkenness or being stoned?"

Inuyasha scowled thoughtfully. "I don't remember all that well, because I was kinda preoccupied at the time, but I would say no, because if there had been, I would have been affected, what with my nose being as sensitive as it is. I've learned to numb it a bit over the years, especially in this day and age, but I have noticed at least." He tipped his head to the side, his dog ears cocked. "Why are you asking these questions?"

Taking a deep breath, Kikyo leveled Inuyasha with serious dark eyes. "Inuyasha, listening to Kagome's story and your own observations, and pairing them with my criminal psychology training from college, I have come to the conclusion that Kagome did not miraculously escape from those pigs, nor did they release her; there is no plausible way for either to have happened. The situation was hopeless, and if the textbooks mean a thing, they would have killed her for sure to close the case. And the nearest 'dirty district' from here is a decent distance. There is simply no way Kagome could have staggered all the way here, in the condition you described, let alone without being noticed. And I doubt those abominable filth offered her a ride."

Inuyasha was stunned. Now that Kikyo had connected the dots, t seemed so obvious that he was shamed by his blindness. "But… What exactly are you saying?" He had an inkling, but he wanted Kikyo to confirm it. And she did.

Gazing at him grimly, the breathtaking part time model and most aspiring law student at one of Tokyo's most prestigious schools, his intelligent and utterly beautiful girlfriend said slowly and distinctly, "Someone saved her that night. Someone rescued her from those monsters and somehow knew to bring her here. Maybe he recognized her, maybe she said something before she passed out, maybe that person just thought you were a Good Samaritan. Either way, there's no other answer.

"There was someone else that night in the alley."

* * *

 **Dun dun dunnn...**

 **Who could it be? I wonder if any of you guys thought there had to be someone else that night. Anyways, a shoutout in advance to Halloween, that delicious holiday! For those of you celebrating it, have fun, trick-or-treating or handing out candy... and watch out for clowns! ;D**

 **Cheers!**

 **Philosophy Blue**


	7. Chapter 7

CH 7

"Welcome back, Agent Ryukokoro. I believe your mission was a success."

"Yes, Overseer. I eliminated the threat with no problem."

"Congratulations. I trust there were no complications?"

Agent Bankotsu Ryukokoro of the Southeast Asian division of the ISLES clipped his heels together. "Upon completion of the assignment, I came upon a scene of violence and took care of the issue. There were no further complications."

The Overseer frowned. "I trust you acted with foresight and efficiency. The ISLES is not a domestic police. If word got out- -"

"They won't even remember me," promised Bankotsu. "I made sure of it. Neither party will be able to pick me out of a lineup."

"The fallout will be on all of us," warned the Overseer, then relented. "You did a good job, Agent. You may rest until further notice."

Bankotsu rose from his chair and saluted smartly. "Call on me whenever you need, Overseer."

"Enough, Agent,¨ sighed the Overseer, shuffling a sheaf of papers. ¨You are working to capacity. Any more and you will collapse. Go rest, Ryukokoro. That's an order."

Bankotsu smirked. "Whatever you say, Overseer." With a cocky flip of his braid, he left the office, winking saucily at the secretary on the way out.

Bankotsu Ryukokoro was the only human in the Southeast Asian division of the ISLES. Not only that, but he was one of the best agents, with a high success rate and killer efficiency (pun intended). Just last night, he had disposed of a threat to interspecies peace, a demon who had broken free of an ancient seal and was kidnapping children to eat their hearts. It had taken weeks for the ISLES to track down the perpetrator. He had been hiding in a dirty district of Tokyo, where he had recruited a gang of lowly demons to do his bidding, including doing the actual the kidnapping. He had masterminded everything, and paid them with the remainder of the bodies. The ISLES had sent Bankotsu to take care of the lot, and he had. He had freed the captive children who had not yet been eaten, and alerted the police to take care of the mess. On the way back, he had come upon a gang rape.

Technically, it wasn't in his job description to take care of those things. He should have called for the police. But they were almost finished with her, and were getting prepared to kill her. The police would have been too late. He had jumped in, knocked out the scum, and kept his face hidden. If he had killed them, and the world found out it had been a member of ISLES, the backlash would have been much more severe. A lot of the population, including governments, already felt that the ISLES had too much power. So he had restrained himself, kept his Banryu sheathed. He had been pondering what to do with the girl, who was hovering between consciousness and unconsciousness, when she mumbled a name he recognized. Inuyasha. Bankotsu knew him to be an essentially good person, so he had taken her to his apartment. A hospital had been out of the question, because he couldn't have possibly gotten her in without getting recognized- -and by extension, getting the ISLES into trouble. He would have left her in the street if he had no other choice. As it was, he had carried her to Inuyasha's door, satisfied that the hanyou wouldn't be able to smell him, thanks to the odorous pendant he wore.

So all in a night's work, he had saved a bunch of children from being eaten, and a woman from a gang rape and murder. Life was good.

Bankotsu stretched, yawning. He really wasn't tired, despite being up all night. Maybe he would hit up the gym or something. He tossed a lazy smile to a cute girl passing by. He chuckled when she flushed. He was getting paid comfortably for doing something he loved, and he was the idol of not a small number of girls. It didn't get much better than this. A confident swagger in his step, he set off down the Tokyo streets, his ever-present companion strapped to his back.

.

.

.

Sango lunged forward and punched her brother across the face. He stumbled back, arms raised to shield his head from further attacks.

¨Come at me!¨ she shouted. ¨Can't you hit me at least once?¨

Kohaku was panting hard. ¨Shut up,¨ he growled. His dark eyes flashed, and he ran forward, assaulting his sister with a rapid, choppy sequence of kicks and jabs.

¨Good!¨ she called, even as she twisted and turned, dodging some hits and blocking others with her arms and legs. ¨But you're leaving yourself open for _this_.¨ As he threw a punch at her, she grabbed his wrist and twisted abruptly. With a shout, Kohaku fell on his side, nursing his injured wrist.

Sango stood over him, breathing hard. ¨Get up.¨

Kohaku was motionless for a single second, and then suddenly, as swift as a snake, he lashed out, still on the floor, and swept his sister's legs out from under her. Sango recovered quickly, executing a hasty flip to regain her balance. But by that time, Kohaku was back up, aiming kick after kick at her abdomen.

Even as his feet constantly sought to slam into her vulnerable points, even as she struck at him repeatedly around the head, even as their bodies tangled in the brutal dance of combat, Sango felt a rush of pride and affection for her brother. He was coming on so well, and he was highly talented, even for his heritage.

Their bloodline, simply named Taijiya for the work they did, stretched back hundreds of years. In the ancient texts from the Feudal Era, even, there were tales of mighty demon slayers who fought valiantly for the good of mankind. Back then, they had been a clan, multiple families working industriously together to eliminate wrongdoing demons. Over the years, as youkai and humans slowly gained an equilibrium of power, that number had dwindled down to a single bloodline; the strongest of all, those who were traditionally the head family of the clan. They had shed their old family name and taken on the proud title of Taijiya, and they had persevered to this day and age, continuing their work by cooperating with governments to exterminate troublesome youkai.

Many people saw no difference between the Taijiya and their somewhat more prominent counterpart. However, while their main competitor, the ISLES, was an international organization and dealt also with humans, the Taijiya were based solely in Japan and focused on the day-to-day threats of lowly demons. The ISLES only worked on the severe cases, where the perpetrator threatened the peace between the humans and youkai. There was also another difference; while the ISLES had a large number of agents, drawing from the entire population of Earth, youkai and human, the Taijiya were a single family, and there were only two members left.

Sango and Kohaku's parents, along with all their extended family, had died on an ill-fated assignment soon after Sango turned eighteen. The good part was that they weren't forced into the foster care system, or God forbid the orphanage. The bad part was that Sango was still in high school. So while in her senior year, when she should have been worrying about college applications and schoolwork, she had been forced to take care of herself and her little brother, who was still in elementary school. Away flew her dreams of a higher education. Down upon her shoulders came crashing the responsibility of living up to and continuing the family line. She had received the family dojo as her inheritance, along with centuries' accumulation of weapons and information.

From then on, she accepted requests for aid by herself. On a regular day, she would wake up early and train with her little brother. Then she would go to school, take a test, scribble down some notes. Then, while her friends gathered at Wacdonald's for shakes and fries, she was out exterminating demons. She would walk home late at night, splattered with gore and blood, and take a shower, trying not to get the mess on the expensive floorboards. She would sit down, right there in the bathtub, and cry. Then she would pick herself back up and rinse the suds from her hair. She would try to get done as much schoolwork as possible before she passed out. Her grades slipped, and her gait faltered. Sango never laughed so freely after that. Her smiles were taut and forced. She was never the same person again. Sure, she still found time to hang out with her friends, but over a short period of time, her relationship with her boyfriend soured and she began to drift apart from her friends. Kagome shared a lot of classes with Sango, so they remained friends, but she broke up with Miroku and became on barely speaking terms with the rest of the group. And now, years after high school, Sango had more free time. When she wasn't on a job or taking care of her brother, she was constantly training in their private gym or keeping fit in a public fitness center. She knew that she had to keep her body in prime shape. One tiny mistake could mean leaving her brother alone in the world. And he wasn't ready for that.

Sango cuffed him around the head, even as love flooded her heart. Kohaku, so innocent and pure… Yeah, he was a brat sometimes, but he was her sweet little brother. She would do everything in her power- -and more- -to insure a happy future for him. If he didn't want to accept the mantle of a Taijiya, then she would make sure that he didn't have to. Whatever he wanted to do, she would help him do to the best of her ability. Never would he be deprived of the chance to go to college, to pursue complete education. He could be whatever he wanted to be. A smile softened her features as her heart tingled. Kohaku, her only family in the whole world… She would gladly die for him.

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.

.

The sleek black bar pulled up to the wide driveway of Ippin Select Academy. The door opened, and out stepped the youngest Takahashi.

"Have a good day," said the driver courteously.

"You too," replied Rin listlessly, shutting the door. She slipped into school quietly. Her heels clicked loudly as she walked down the halls, so she took them off and walked barefoot. He didn't like it when she was loud.

She entered the library and threaded her way through the shelves wordlessly, avoiding or ignoring the other students scattered throughout the vast space. Climbing a winding staircase up to the second floor, she stopped in front of an unobtrusive little door and knocked softly. Looking around carefully, she darted inside.

"You made it," greeted a soft voice.

A smile appeared almost magically on her face. "I did."

"You haven't come to see me for a week." There was faint reproach in his voice. "I was bored."

"I'm sorry," Rin apologized, taking a seat on the carpeted floor. It was pitch black inside the tiny closet, but that was alright. It was enough just to hear his voice. "I've been very busy. I wish you could stay in my house."

"You know I can't," Shippo said wistfully.

"Yeah."

"So… What's up?"

"I have a math test today. I don't really get it, but I went over my notes last night, so I think I'll at least get an eighty."

"You could ask Sesshomaru-sama for help," Shippo suggested.

"I can't. He's always so busy, besides he never learned our way of solving it. He does it in his head so fast, but he can't explain it to me in a way that I understand. Whenever I ask him for help, I just feel stupid."

"Well, what about Kagome-san?"

Rin snorted. "What, her? She barely graduated from high school."

"But she would still be able to do your math. You're in eighth grade, after all."

"No. I hate her. Besides, she's not even in the house anymore."

"Really? What happened?"

"Don't tell anyone, but a week ago she got into a huge fight with Dad and ran out of the house. We haven't heard from her since."

"Could something have happened to her?"

"I don't know. We think she's staying at a friend's house or something."

"Maybe you guys should try to find her."

"She's nothing but a slut and a gold-digger," protested Rin.

"Do you really think that's true?"

Rin faltered. "What do you mean?" She sensed that Shippo was brooding.

"What has she ever done to you, Rin, besides treating you with kindness?"

She stiffened. "It's not about what she's done to me, but Dad!"

"What has she done?"

"She seduced him into marrying her so she could get at his money! She's leeching off him!"

"What makes you say that?"

"Remember?" Rin cried. "Remember, years ago, what my friends said?"

 _"This is my mother," bragged Yusoka, showing off a picture.. "She's thirty-five, and she doesn't look a day over twenty-five!"_

 _The picture showed a beautiful woman with long, sleek jet-black hair and raspberry-colored eyes. Yura Hanajito was a hair model, turned part-time hair stylist for stars, and she had passed down her impeccable hair genes to her daughter. Yusoka looked just like her mother, only with short hair that she held back with a ribbon. Everyone called her Yusoka of the Hair because her mother was called Yura of the Hair, and the little girl's own hair was so pretty; she even starred regularly in kids' shampoo commercials._

 _Souten scoffed. "Well, this is my mother," she said, and held her picture up in the air. "She's thirty-two."_

 _"Mine is thirty!"_

 _Rin watched the loud girls from her seat in the corner. They were crowded around one desk, two rows in front of her. They were children of the elite. She felt so out of place. The only reason she was here was because Sesshomaru-sama had rescued her from the streets. She had tried to join in their discussions before, but she couldn't find anything to relate with to them. They talked about Chanel and Gucci; she had thought that Chanel was the name of some girl, and Gucci was the new way of saying 'icky.' It sounded like 'gootchy,' after all._

 _But here was something she could talk to them about. Her new mother was beautiful, even more beautiful than Amaya Asano's mother, Sara, who was a supermodel. And she was younger than any of their mothers._

 _She finally mustered up the courage and walked up to them, trying to join their circle. Wordlessly, they shifted, nudging her away. They didn't even acknowledge her. Rin felt tears welling up in her eyes, and quickly willed them away. Here was her chance to make new friends. Finally, after never-ending solitary lunches, she would have best friends to have sleepovers with. She would have people to invite to parties who would actually show up, or bother to RSVP back if they couldn't come. She remembered her last birthday party; she had invited her entire class of girls, and when no one RSVP'd saying they couldn't make it, she had been ecstatic. Preparations and costs had been astronomical, and yet when the day of the party came, Rin had stood in the empty yard crying in her pretty dress while her mother tried to comfort her. As that memory surfaced, she wanted to sit back down, but she could hear Shippo whispering in her ear, 'Go for it, Rin!' So she mustered up her courage._

 _"My mother is better than any of yours," she said tentatively._

 _They turned on her, curious now. To them, she was the loser who had no friends. Who was her mother? It had to be an A-lister, or else she couldn't afford the tuition here._

 _Shiori, granddaughter of a major security company's CEO, popped the question. "Really? Who is she?"_

 _Rin swelled with pride. "Her name's Kagome Takahashi."_

 _Instantly, she had their full attention. "No wayy," they gasped, having read from TIME and other such magazines all about the Takahashi marriage. "You're Sesshomaru Takahashi's daughter?"_

 _"He's hot!" chimed in Kaori, whose older sister, Kaguya "Celestial Goddess" Kagami, was the CEO and face of a huge cosmetics company. Her turquoise eyes sparkled._  
 _"Wait," said Amaya, gray eyes narrowed. "You're ten, just like us. And you're human. Sesshomaru is demon. You're adopted?" Her eyes narrowed further, this time with disgust. "Oh, I remember reading about you. Some poor orphan Sesshomaru adopted. Didn't say your name, though."_

 _"Yeah," mumbled Rin, staring at her shoes. "Anyways...my mother is better than any of you guys's." It seemed silly to bring it up now, but she had to say something._

 _They laughed at her. "Kagome Takahashi? Are you kidding? Her? Or, oh wait, your sleazy real mother? Take your pick; they both suck!"_

 _"What are you talking about?" cried Rin. "Kagome-san is amazing and really nice!"_

 _"Ha," sneered Souten. "She got married when she was eighteen."_

 _"So?"_

 _"She got married when she was eighteen," repeated Shiori, looking scandalized. "The youngest possible age without parental consent!"_

 _"It-it was true love!" defended Rin. "Like Sleeping Beauty and Snow White, and all the other princesses! It was true love!"_

 _Mocking laughter._

 _"Greed, more like. She's a gold-digger."_

 _"Yeah. A gold-digger!"_

 _"What's worse, a gold-digging mother or a drunk, drug-addict mother?"_

 _"The gold-digger. At least the drunk drug-addict had the good sense to dump her ugly baby!"_

 _Giggles._

Rin winced at the memory. "See? Everyone sees right through her. She had me fooled for a year. I feel so stupid now."

Shippo shifted in the darkness. "Don't you think Kagome-san loves Sesshomaru-sama?"

Rin shook her head. "She loves his money."

"Have you seen that for yourself, or is that just what your friends say?"

She struggled. "Well, it's- -it's hard to explain."

"Who are your friends' mothers, Rin?"

"Their mothers? Yura, Sara, Abi… Kaori's mother isn't famous but her sister, Kaguya, is. There's more that don't immediately come to mind. What about it, Shippo? How is that important?"

"Isn't it true that all of them at some point have wanted Sesshomaru-sama?"

Rin wrinkled her nose. "I wouldn't know about that. That doesn't matter."

"Doesn't it?" he said cryptically.

Rin sighed. "What are you trying to say, Shippo?" But there was no reply, and she cursed. "Shippo?" She tried to squint through the darkness, but there was an emptiness to the black that wasn't there before, and she knew he was gone.

.

.

.

The house was dark when Sesshomaru returned from a long day at work. Slipping silently into the empty house, he stood for a moment on the threshold, suddenly reluctant to step into that cold, black space. There was no warm light that lit the house softly in every room and hall, there was no delectable aroma of steaming dinner, there was no slim, upright figure that hurried forward to take his jacket. It wasn't home, and it hadn't been for six nights counting.

Rin had called to say she would be eating out for dinner with a group of friends. He hadn't cared. She made no difference in the lonely nights anyways, staying locked up in her room and hosting a group conversation on her phone while doing her nails.

Yet it was better this way, this absence of his wife. This initial discomfort was both inevitable and necessary, and so Sesshomaru forced himself directly home every night after work, instead of loitering at the high-end clubs he had indulged in while she still lived under this roof.

Alone, he climbed the stairs, not bothering to turn on the lights, and shut himself in his study. He sat in his chair and loosened his tie, but didn't take it off. There was a stiffness in his house that he couldn't shake off, and he didn't like it.

His fingers twitched compulsively toward the bottom drawer of his desk, and in his absentmindedness, he did not stop himself as he had of recent years. Almost unconsciously, he opened the drawer and took out a small, cornflower blue book bound in plush velvet. He gently undid the silver clasp. With a soft snick, the book fell open, revealing itself to be a photo album.

Sesshomaru leaned back in his chair and began to peruse its contents. Ever so slowly, the harsh, stony lines of his face, lit with the amber glow of his lamp, relaxed as he flipped through the creamy, flower-stained pages, each one reflecting his beautiful Kagome back to his pained eyes. Laughing hysterically on the beach, burning dinner with a horrified face, gleefully fleeing the camera… no two photos were the same. Yet they all had one thing in common.

They made him smile.

Sesshomaru knew that he should get rid of the album, burn it perhaps. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. He placed it facing up on his desk, a headache forming behind his left temple.

"Kagome…" he whispered, feeling his loneliness come crashing down on him like a tidal wave. "Kagome. _Kagome_."

He lowered his head to the pages of the blue velvet book, the side of his face pressed against his wife's, and closed his eyes, deploring the fates for their cruel decree, that which had condemned him to this dilemma.

* * *

 ****IMPORTANT****

 **Hi guys! I wanted to let you know of something I'm doing for the holiday season: 12 Days of Christmas! Every day up until and including Christmas Day, I'll be updating one of my stories or posting a oneshot. This is Day One, and tomorrow I'll be updating A Sea Maiden's Song. If you like this story, maybe you'd like to try others by me!**

 _ **A Sea Maiden's Song:**_ **Mermaids are hunted mercilessly for their beautiful song, which is said to cleanse even the filthiest soul and heal the gravest of wounds. And that is how Kagome came to be dragged from the sea, entangled in a net, and hauled off to Sesshomaru's court.**

 **Cheers!**

 **Philosophy Blue ;)**


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